Do You Know the Shepherd?

Psalm 23

There is an old story about Psalm 23 (though we can't say if it is true) and which teaches a beautiful lesson.

It goes like this:

Once there was a fund raiser in which a famous actor was the Chief Guest. He gave his speech, did a couple of performences of his famous dialogues and then invited questions. Someone in the audience asked him if he knew Psalm 23. To this he replied in the affirmative saying he had to memorise it as a child. Another person piped up and asked him to recite it.

The actor then proceeded to recite Psalm 23, in his deep baritone voice complete with facial expressions and voice modulation. Slowly, deliberately serious and with actions.

When he finished there was thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

After the applause died down, someone spied an old priest sitting in the corner. He raised a call for the priest to recite Psalm 23 as well, a call which caught on till the the entire hall was echoing with that demand.

The priest slowly got up, so slowly one could probably have heard his bones. He walked upto the stage, took the mike and, in a weak, cracked voice which promised to fail any time and with a teary expression proceeded to recite the Psalm. When he finished he got the standard polite applause.

At dinner that evening someone asked the actor what he thought of the priests recital viz a viz his own.

"Oh that's easy" said the actor. "I knew the Psalm but he knew the shepherd".

Today, we can well ask ourselves - Do we know the shepherd or just the Psalm?

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What Would Jesus Do?

In our last post we talked about Jesus being the way and why we need to follow Him, if we want salvation. Following Jesus means commitment to living a life that mirrors his teachings, values, and example, prioritizing his will above all else, and striving for spiritual growth through faith, love, and service. In short it means "living Jesus" every day. Addressing challenges He faced - His way. Relating to people - His way.

How we can do that is to ask ourselves in every situation - what would Jesus do? And then do what He would do. If we don't know- go to the Word. Ask.

Rev Francis Taylor says this -

"Everyone faces temptation every day. It may be something as unimportant as having an extra piece of candy, or skipping exercise, but it could be as serious as giving in to road rage, drinking too much, cheating, gambling, taking drugs, or – (insert your favorite vice here)! Jesus was tempted to let us know that this is something we all must overcome. When you face a temptation, how do you respond? Jesus looked to scripture for the answer."

So, there you have it. Jesus lived by the "Book." Time we did do and do what He did.

Money, Power & Fame....

In an earlier post about following Jesus, we talked about making idols in our lives, contrary to the 1st commandment. We think we don't, but we do.

Rev Francis says - "Every time we put our needs before God, we set ourselves up as gods. Every time we choose pleasure, money, sports before God, we have created idols for ourselves."

Is it any wonder that Jesus said that we need to forsake what the world gives us to be able to follow Him? He never said that we should not enjoy the good things we have - but let not those things become "Gods" and give them priority over that one true God.

It could be something as simple as time. We can't serve Jesus because our job takes up too much time. It could be our family or a party or TV or sports. This does not mean we should not have or do these things. It simply means we must develop a habit to consciously give priority to Jesus over everything else, which comes second.

Today, let's review our life, and without a bias, identify those things, people or activities which we maybe idolizing, giving them a place on our lives above God and Let us make a step wise plan to de-brick all of them.

The Way : Beyond the Cross

Did you know that the Early followers of Christ were called followers of "the way"? The term "Christianity" came much later.

Let us pause and think why were they called that? What was "the way"? The answer will open the door to another basic question: why should anyone follow Christ?

Because Christ offered true followers a pathway to salvation. Jesus was and is the way to our salvation.

Thus, our ultimate goal to follow a resurrected Jesus is because He is the way to salvation. 

How may you ask? Jesus said to take up our cross and follow Him - essentially symbolizing the end of our earthly self and a new beginning. When a person carried a cross in Jesus’ day, no one thought of it as a persistent annoyance or symbolic burden. It was literal! "To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by crucifixion. To carry a cross was to face the most painful and humiliating means of death human beings could develop. Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day the cross represented a torturous death. The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion (see John 19:17). Bearing a cross meant one was about to die, and that one would face ridicule and disgrace along the way".

Therefore, Jesus’ command to “take up your cross and follow Me” is a call to self-abasement and self-sacrifice, no matter how hard or painful it may be. One must be willing to die to self in an absolute surrender to God, crucify our "self" and resurrect finding hope, strength, and transformation through our challenges.

This Lenten season, can we reflect on what we need to do to follow His way, or "the Way"? 

One suggestion is to adopt the principle of "what would Jesus do" or WWJD. In our next post we will cover that principle.

Monday Quotes

 

"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come" - Rabindranath Tagore

"When I fall sick, I am taken to a hospital where I surrender to the nurses, attendants and doctors. They put me in a wheelchair and take me where I do not know, put me on machines I do not recognize and do tests which the doctors have ordered. I am completely in their hands. Then I wonder, when I can trust the doctors, nurses and attendants for my well being, and surrender myself, why do I have a problem surrendering to God? Why cant I let God push my wheelchair?" - Pastor Jolly Raj, Bethel Methodist Church, India.

" Faith is the bird that feels the light, when the dawn is still dark". - Rabindranath Tagore

"Pray; and as you pray, surrender; and as you surrender, believe". - Aiden Wilson Tozer

It is not our business to make the message acceptable, but to make it available. We are not to see that they like it, but that they get it. - Vance Havner

You will never be saved against your will; God drags nobody to heaven by the ears. - Charles Spurgeon

Too many Christians live their Christian lives inside their heads; it never gets out through hands and feet and lips. - Vance Havner

"Don't ever come to church without coming as though it were the first time, as though it could be the best time, and as though it could be the last time." ~ Vance Havner

"When the Lord's white sheep become dirty gray, all black sheep feel more comfortable." ~ Vance Havner

"Fundamentally, our Lord's message was Himself. He did not come merely to preach a Gospel; He himself is that Gospel. He did not come merely to give bread; He said, "I am the bread." He did not come merely to shed light; He said, "I am the light." He did not come merely to show the door; He said, "I am the door." He did not come merely to name a shepherd; He said, "I am the shepherd." He did not come merely to point the way; He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."" ~ J. Sidlow Baxter

"Real true faith is man's weakness leaning on God's strength." ~ Dwight L. Moody

"There is more grace in God's heart than there is sin in your past." ~ Erwin W. Lutzer

"Love the sinner, hate the sin? How about: Love the sinner, hate your own sin! I don't have time to hate your sin. There are too many of you! Hating my sin is a full-time job. How about you hate your sin, I'll hate my sin and let's just love each other!" ~ Mark Lowry

"Because with every action, comment, conversation, we have the choice to invite Heaven or Hell to Earth." ~ Rob Bell

"Every day we live is a priceless gift of God, loaded with possibilities to learn something new, to gain fresh insights." ~ Dale Evans

"God doesn't break things so He can fix them; He fixes broken things so He can use them." ~ Bob Goff