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.

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.

A Woman of Substance

 

The Bible features many amazing women who played significant roles in various narratives. On this International Women’s Day, we would like to highlight one such woman – Rahab, a Canaanite woman who helped Israelite spies and later became part of the lineage of Jesus.

Rahab is a significant figure in the Bible, known for her bravery, faith, and role in the Israelite conquest of Jericho. Her story is primarily found in the Book of Joshua, chapter 2, a powerful example of faith, courage, and redemption. Her actions had a lasting impact on the Israelite history and the lineage of Jesus Christ

To understand the importance of her role, we must first understand why Jericho was so important to the Israelites?

In the biblical account, Jericho holds significant importance as the first city the Israelites encountered after crossing the Jordan River into Canaan around 1,400 BCE. The story highlights the miraculous destruction of the formidable Wall of Jericho, which fell after the Israelites marched around it for seven days, bearing the Ark of the Covenant. This event symbolizes not only a pivotal moment in the Israelites’ conquest of the Promised Land but also serves as a testament to their faith and obedience in following divine instructions.

Knowing the importance of capturing Jericho, the Israelis sent spies into the city to do what spies do: Ascertain strengths and weaknesses. If these spies had been captured or killed, the morale of the Israelis would have gone crashing to the ground. After all, if they could not capture the first city they encountered in the promised land, what would they do for the rest? They probably would not have attempted to war with Jericho, their faith in God would have been shaken and a defeat at Jericho could have delayed the Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land. Jericho was a key entry point into Canaan, and losing the battle would have hindered their progress and possibly prolonged their efforts to take possession of the land. They knew that.

And that is where Rahab mattered. She made sure that the spies were NOT captured and the Israelis went ahead and did what God wanted them to thus fulfilling the promise of divine intervention and Gods plan. She had faith in God, His promises and His power even though she was not an Israelite. 

Rahab's story is a powerful example of faith, courage, and redemption. Her actions had a lasting impact on the Israelite history and the lineage of Jesus Christ. Rahab is commended for her faith in the New Testament. She is mentioned in the "Faith Hall of Fame" in Hebrews 11:31, and James 2:25 highlights her righteous deeds.

Do read about Rahab today. Her story is a powerful reminder that our past does not govern our future and faith, courage, and positive choices can lead to transformation and a meaningful legacy. Her example inspires us to believe in the possibility of change, take risks for what we believe in, and live out our faith in God in tangible ways. 

The Bath Tub

If you were told to empty a bathtub and the choice was to use a bucket, a glass or a spoon, which would you use? 

The answer of course is none of the above. The smart way would be to simply pull the plug, because using any of those above-mentioned alternatives would never completely empty the tub. There would be a remnant of water remaining. 

Similarly in our spiritual life, if you don't pull the plug there will always be remnants of our previous sins which will remain. 

The problem is when called upon to pull the plug, our strength fails us. We are unable to empty that tub completely because of our attachments to our earthly desires and possessions. But Jesus can! 

He sacrificed himself to pull the plug and drain out sin from the world, including for you and me. 

Today, as we fill our own tubs, let us be careful that we fill it with what Jesus wants, not what we desire from this world. 

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