Countdown...

For many the countdown has been on for, well, maybe about 11 months now.  Finally it is only a few days away…  Actually, that is incorrect.  It is now way less than 24 hours away.  No, the “it” is not Thanksgiving Day (although I did intend to write and post this earlier in the week).  The “it” is perhaps the most unholy of days – black Friday. 

It is no longer enough to get up way before dawn the day after expressing thanks for all of our “blessings” to go out and get more of these “blessings” at a reduced price.  That way of doing things is soooo 2000.  It is not enough anymore to be camping out for days (or even a week) in advance of the biggest shopping day of the year.  That, by the way, is probably soooo 2010. 

Come on now, this is 2012, and the way we roll is by starting black Friday on, uh, turquoise Thursday.  Oh, I mean Thanksgiving Thursday.  Now before you get riled up about this intrusion on a day of thankfulness, you will be pleased to know (depending on the stores you choose to visit) that you can eat your turkey (maybe for breakfast) before heading to stores that will open at 3:00pm or so.  Yet some will open at 9:00am, or earlier. 

I could make this longer, but I will refrain.  Yet I will admit I am using some strong words and being a bit sarcastic as well.  However, my next sentence will be neither sarcastic nor an overstatement.  Our culture (for years and years) has been leading people on a way one path to hell. 

If we do not take the time to ponder the results of actions, or listen to others telling us something that seems brash, or ridiculous, or something that is obviously wrong because I have never heard that before, then we may wake up one day and wonder, “Where did things all go wrong?” 

I am not against saving money.  I am not against giving gifts.  I am not pleading for the government to pass a law against “black Friday,” or anything like that.  I simply want us (especially if you are a follower of Jesus) to think.  What does all of “this” really get us?  For some it gets a pressure of feeling they “have” to go out on Friday (or Thursday) and get great deals for gifts for their kids…because after all money is tight…and the kids really need this stuff – or we really want to give it to them – and we can save a lot of money (and who doesn't want to see their kids "happy"?).  Stop.  Just stop, please.  Do we realize where that is going to lead? 

Now specifically for followers of Jesus, we need to acknowledge the fact that we live in a materialistically driven culture.  We must wrestle with the truth that what keeps many from God (or stagnant in their walk with Him) is money (cf. Mk4:7,18-19).  I am not anti-money.  I cannot be because God is not anti-money; He owns it all anyway.  Yet what I am “anti” (right along with God) is what it does to people.  Indeed, I know what it can do to me.  Yet sadly, I am not even fully aware of that - because I am blind to so many things.    

I am also “anti” how black Friday and the like overshadow Christmas; or how somehow people think they are preparing for Christmas by saving a lot of money.  Christmas is not a day, it is a season.  Yes, Christmas is an entire season preceded by another season – Advent.  We will have more on Advent later; perhaps on the most unholy day of the year. 

Bucket List [2]...

Cultural expectations, assumptions, desires...and the Bible.  Our tendency to look out for ourselves and make plans in order to make life easier and more enjoyable...and the life of Jesus.  The list could continue, but I think you get the idea it is one of contrast - stark contrast.

Yesterday the issue of a "bucket list" was raised.  A bucket list is a list of things a person desires to do before they die.  Quite often it includes seeing places and/or doing a variety of things.  To be certain, viewing God's creation and having a good time are certainly not wrong.  Yet to muddy the waters a bit we looked at an action of Jesus on the way to His impending death.  In other words, we might ask ourselves, "What was on the "bucket list" of Jesus?"  By the way, the Bible tends to muddy a lot of waters we would rather be clear with smooth sailing.

In summary of yesterday, Jesus sought out a man of great wealth (Zacchaeus) whose response to Jesus was stunning.  With literary beauty Luke sandwiched a lot of people held captive and mastered by money between two (Levi in Lk5:27ff and Zacchaeus in Lk19:1ff) who finally cast off the shackles of deception and were no longer a slave to it.  Jesus' bucket list revolved around expanding the Kingdom of God.  What can we deduce from all of this?

We ought to deduce being a Christian in our culture is not easy.  Granted, we do not face physical death like many brothers and sisters around the world.  Rather, we face persecution (a great tribulation) of a more sinister kind - seduction by our culture.  It is easy to think we are simply "making a living" when in reality we may be in danger of "gaining the world and losing our soul" (Lk9:25).  After all, a married couple with one child living at the U.S. poverty level ($19,090) is more wealthy than 88.65% of the people in the world.  I am not saying it is easy or enjoyable to live at the poverty level (I and we have been there), but I am saying something is wrong with the reality of such disparity.  We live in a world where Weight Watchers is a prosperous company "here", while countless others die of starvation "over there" (and I realize a lack of food is also a problem "here").  What do we do with things like that?  I do not know.  There are not easy answers or quick fixes.  But I do know we do live in a culture of unparalleled wealth and it impacts all of us.

We ought to also deduce that we must not gloss over a biblical use of wealth.  Far too often money is viewed as a tool to get the things we want in order to somehow enjoy life more fully - in the here and now.  Yet Luke tells us we should leverage our money in the here and now so more people can enjoy the abundant life with God - both now and in eternity (cf. the "dishonest" steward in Lk16:1-13).  Indeed, it is easy to be blind to the reality that quite often money is really controlling us and we are serving it as a master.  This should never be.  We should use our wealth as a tool to make God famous.

We ought also concede that on His way to an excruciating and humiliating death Jesus purposefully sought out an individual who would use what the world values (money) to bring glory to the One of infinite worth (God).  It appears Jesus' "bucket list" included making sure the crowning point of God's creation (humans) knew the One who created them and spoke this world into existence loves them.  How high is that on your bucket list?

I must confess there are a variety of places I would like to see and go.  There are many things I would like to do.  There is something special about sharing experiences with those you love.  I do not think there is anything wrong with that.  Yet I find it ironic we live in a culture where a vacation is a necessity due to the frenzied pace at which we live.  Then, while on vacation, many fall prey to our culture and the incessant need to consume (e.g., to see and do, view and experience, etc.), and it takes a toll.  More than one person has returned home desiring a vacation from their vacation...

In sum; whether or not you have a "bucket list" or not is not the point.  What is at least a point to consider is something like; Does your bucket list reflect a high value on the crowning point of God's creation over traveling to a few choice destinations or experiencing a few cheap (or expensive) thrills?  In other words, are people more important than a place or experience?  I think the new heavens and new earth will be far grander than anything we can visually see or experience now.  Put another way; Does your bucket list look any different than someone not following Jesus as their Lord? 


Does your bucket list include...

• family and friends entering the Kingdom of God?  
• serving those less fortunate than you - be it in a "soup kitchen", through your own creative idea, or on a short-term missions trip? 
• reconciling with people you have hurt and offended...or who may have hurt and offended you?  
• "adopting" a child in the neighborhood who does not have a father, or grandparents, and showing them unconditional love while giving a single Mom (or Dad) a bit of time to themselves?  

The list is small and incomplete.  And I may be wrong, but I think a bucket list with items like these just might be more thrilling than something else you may desire to do.  Yet I am certain I am correct in the assumption that they can lead to many being eternally grateful.  

Bucket List...

In the 2007 movie The Bucket List, two men who appear to be different in practically every way (e.g., a millionaire and a working-class mechanic; a four-time divorcee and a man who has been faithful to one woman - his wife) find common ground by what looms somewhere in everyone's mind - the reality of death.  The characters played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman have both been diagnosed with lung cancer and given a short period of time to live.  Facing the inevitability of death, they both have a variety of things they would like to do before they "kick the bucket" (i.e., die) - hence the title of the movie.

Death.  Unless Jesus comes back first it is a common reality we will all face.  In light of death, how should we live?  More appropriately, in light of God's view of death, how should a Christian live?  More to the point, should Christians have a "bucket list"?  Rather than give an answer that can easily be tossed aside or criticized, let us turn our attention to the Bible.

In Luke 19 we read "He entered Jericho and was passing through..." (Lk19:1) - the He is Jesus.  On the surface it seems this chapter records a chance encounter between Zacchaeus and Jesus of Nazareth.  Granted, this chance encounter did forever change the life of Zacchaeus (Lk19:9).  In fact, this chance encounter also immediately impacted the lives of many others (cf. Lk19:8).  Furthermore, based on Luke's emphasis on outcasts and money (and from what we know about how the early Church used everything at her disposal to help others), it is very likely many helped monetarily by Zacchaeus also had their lives forever changed as they experienced the love and grace of God through an individual.  And just think, all of this happened simply by chance as Jesus was merely "passing through" - right?  A chance encounter which ultimately lead to the salvation of - only God knows how many - people...

It is true Jesus impacted people wherever He went.  Yet when we look at the word for "passing through" in the text, this passage suddenly looks different.  The Greek word dierchomai, translated as "passing through" in Luke 19:1, is used 42 times in the Greek New Testament; 30 of those are in Luke-Acts.  This is somewhat interesting.  Yet it gets more interesting when we look at how the word for "passing through" is used - it seems to be a technical term used by Luke.  With few exceptions the word clearly describes a specific purpose for going from one place to another.  Most commonly the specific purpose is to spread the good news of Jesus and/or the Kingdom of God  (e.g., Lk2:15; 9:6; Acts8:40; 11:19; 13:6,14; 15:3,41).

Therefore, on His way to Jerusalem where Jesus knows He will soon suffer and die, He specifically chooses to "pass through" Jericho.  Why?  What seems interesting yet unclear comes into focus when we consider a few other encounters Jesus had with people of wealth in the gospel of Luke.  Early on Jesus encounters Levi who follows Him and throws a party with his wealth because Jesus has changed his life (Lk5:27-39).  Later Jesus tells of a "rich fool" who died facing judgment because of hoarding his money (Lk12:13-21), and of a "rich man" who would not part with his money for the sake of the Kingdom of God - therefore by implication he did not enter into It (Lk18:18-30).  In between these accounts are two parables, both of which focus on money (the "dishonest" steward in Lk16:1-13, and the rich man and Lazarus in Lk16:19-31).

In other words, Luke presents an individual who responds well with his wealth (Levi), followed by a series of people who do not (well, except for the "dishonest" steward - but that is another issue), followed by Z acchaeus - another who responded well to the call of Jesus on his life in spite of his (tremendous) wealth.  After meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus leveraged what he had prostituted himself for all of his life (i.e., he chased money) for the glory of God by providing for those who could not provide for themselves.

So, what does this do to a "bucket list" for those of us who live in the most affluent culture in the history of the world?  Please ponder (and comment); I will share a thought or two tomorrow...