Calvary McAllen

AND JESUS TOO

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.  -- Luke 3:21a

I'm in Waco (Truett Seminary) at a 2 day preaching workshop. Dr. Fred Craddock was the guest preacher in chapel today. He preached from Luke, chapter 3, focusing on verse 21. Jesus being baptized with all the people. He spoke of what that looked like when Luke reports it. Jesus is standing in line at the river waiting his turn to be baptized. He's standing there with all those who have come to hear John and be baptized. The clergy are there. The poor are there. The rich are there. The harlots and the tax-collectors are there. The soldiers are there. And Jesus is standing in line with them ... waiting to be baptized.

"I don't like standing in line," Craddock says. Well, who does? I hate lines. I'm always looking for the express lane. I always want to know if there's a way around it. Can't I pay online? Can't I register by email? Do I really have to stand in line with all the other people? I know there are those who have to wait in line ... but, I think I should be expempt from such a time wasting activity.  And then there's Jesus ... waiting in line with all the rest of the folks.

Everyone's the same in a line. That's the problem. The person who got there two seconds before you, is before you ... it doesn't matter who they are or who you are ... who they know or don't know ... what station in life they are in ... what they do for a living ... NO! In a line everyone is treated the same. First come, first serve. No cutting. Everyone the same. And there's Jesus waiting in line to be baptized by John just like the rest of the people.

John baptizes in the Jordan and then yells, "Next." And the next person steps forward. Down they go, up they come. They move back to the shore shaking the water from their hair, and John yells, "Next." And there's Jesus waiting in line just like all the rest. Don't they know who he is?  Don't they know where he comes from? John does. But it doesn't matter. When all the people were being baptized. Jesus was batized too. There's Jesus -- just look at him -- waiting in line right behind the harlot and in front of the tax-collector -- there's Jesus ... waiting in line.

When it's his turn the heavens open up. But not while he's in line. While he's in line, he's just like everyone else. He's with the people. That's why he came. To be with the people. To be one of them.

So ... you want to be like Jesus? Get in line.

blessings,

pastore ellis

THE TRUTH

But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.  -- Mark 6:16-17

Jesus' fame has spread far and wide. Herod Antipas hears of him and fears that he might be John the Baptist re-incarnated.  John had baptized Jesus and pointed to him as the Messiah who was foretold by the prophets of old. Jesus has healed thousands with the touch of his hands. He has cast out violent demons. He has even raised a little girl from the dead. Now, Herod sees the power that lives in Jesus and thinks that the spirit of John has inhabited Jesus.

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great (the one who killed all the babies when Jesus was born). Herod the Great had many wives, mostly for political reasons. He married a Samaritan woman named Malthace.  She had a son named Herod Philip. He married a Jewess named Mariamne. She had two sons Alexander and Aristobulus. Herod has both murdered along with their mother when he thinks they are plotting against him (they probably were). He had a wife named Cleopatra (not the famous one ... the asp had killed her a few hundred years before this). He married another Mariamne (the Hasmonean). She had two sons: Archelaus and Herod Antipas.

After Herod the Great died (in 6 b.c.), Archelaus became ruler over the southern part of the kingdom (including Jerusalem). He was a sickly young man and was a terrible leader. He was exiled and replaced by his fourteen year old brother, Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas would rule until 39 a.d.

Herod Antipas' brother, Herod Philip, was married to an ambitious woman named Herodias. They had a daughter named Salome.  Herodias decided that Herod Antipas was a better bet, so she packed her things and moves to his palace.

Enter John the Baptist. What does he do? He speaks against Herod Antipas and Herodias ... against their adulterous affair and illegitimate marriage. He speaks the truth. That's what a prophet is supposed to do. No matter the consequences. No matter the political climate. No matter the popular opinion. No matter the magnitude of power against him.

The prophet speaks the truth, and truth has a way of cutting. Herod Antipas didn't like getting cut. None of us do. But, in a strange inexplicable way, he loved listening to John. He was intrigued by him. If there was one thing Herod knew about, it was power, and he knew that John had it. Not political power or financial power or influential power ... but true, pure power ... power that comes from an other-worldly source. He recognized John's power; he recognized that it was far greater than his own power, and he was afraid of him. Herodias, on the other hand, wasn't afraid of anything. She uses her daughter to get John the Baptist's head on a platter. John is murdered and his disciples scatter.

But it doesn't end there. Truth doesn't die with one person. With John's death the truth he spoke (Word of God) becomes even stronger. It lives in Jesus. Herod was wrong ... Jesus wasn't John the Baptist reincarnated ... that's silly. But, what Herod rightly saw in Jesus was power ... Pure, unadulterated power ... the power of God concentrated in one life. A thousand deaths cannot kill it. Herod was right to be afraid. Jesus said, "I am the TRUTH ..." and even a Roman cross could not kill him. The TRUTH never dies.

blessings,

pastor ellis

IN THE KNOW

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! ... And they took offense at him. ... And he was amazed at their lack of faith.  Mark 6:1-2,3b,6

LOCAL BOY MAKES IT BIG! That must have been the headline in the local Nazareth newspaper. The entire town was buzzing with the news. Jesus was coming home. The now famous Rabbi was on a preaching tour of Southern Galilee and he was stopping by his old stomping grounds. The synagogue had not been that crowded in years. The synagogue ruler was beaming from ear to ear. Jesus could sure draw a crowd.

It's like the time Winston Churchill was speaking and an enormous crowd had gathered for the momentous ocassion. A friend whispered to Churchill, "What's it like to have this large a crowd gathered to hear you speak?" Churchill responded (as only he could), "On occassions such as this I always remind myself that if I were being hanged, the crowd would be twice as large."

The Nazareth crowd is about to grow.

Jesus preaches a sermon at the synagogue. Mark skips it, but Luke gives us the sermon. Jesus reads a messianic passage from Isaiah, tells the crowd that he is the fulfillment of the prohecy, closes the scroll, and sits down. They respond with, "Who does this guy think he is? We KNOW who he is. We've known him since he was a snotty-nosed kid running around these pews. We KNOW who he is. Who does he THINK he is?"

Jesus then tells them that they are idiots. Well ... not exactly in those words. He uses a few Old Testament references to basically tell them that they are spiritual dwarfs and are missing the promise.

Somebody yells, "Get a rope."

I've heard all the cliches on this one. "Familiarity breeds contempt." "A prophet is without honor in his own hometown." In fact, most of the cliches were born from this narrative. But, what's really happening here? What's Mark's point in telling the story?

Sometimes, when we think we know everything there is to know ... about a person ... or a situation ... or a Scripture text ... or a theological issue ... WE MISS THE TRUTH.  Knowledge has a way of blinding us. Those "in the know" stop learning. When you've learned everything there is to know about whatever it is you do in life ... it's time to quit ... you've become useless ... and, as the Nazarenes prove ... dangerous.

A good education is invaluable ... as long as it never ends.

blessings,

pastor ellis

UNCLEAN

"When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."  Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. "   -- Mark 5:27-29

The woman has been suffering for years. No one can do anything with her. They're glad to take her money, but that's about all they can do. Nothing seems to work. Her real pain was not that she was ill, or that her illness isolated her, or that all her money went to the doctors. Her real pain was that she had been convinced that her illness separated her from God. It made her unclean.

In fact, that's the recurring theme throughout this section of Mark. Jesus uses the language of exorcism (healing that which is UNCLEAN) to calm the sea (the place where evil lived, to the ancient mind). Jesus heals Legion possessed by 6000 UNCLEAN spirits. The demons are cast out and into a herd of swine (UNCLEAN animals). They drown in the sea (the place where UNCLEAN spirits live).

Jairus asks Jesus to heal his daughter. By the time they get to the house, she is dead (UNCLEAN). Jesus goes into her bedroom anyway. He raises her to new life.

And there's the woman who is sick. Her illness involves constant blood loss. This makes her UNCLEAN. She is an untouchable one. To touch her was to beome UNCLEAN. Her state of perpetual UNCLEANNESS separates her from God. This is why she sneaks up on Jesus from behind. This is why she steals a touch from him. This is why she's afraid to admit that she touched him. She knows ... She has no business touching God ... She knows ... Her touch would have the affect of making Jesus UNCLEAN.

But the woman learned something amazing: Jesus has power and authority over all that is UNCLEAN. She learned what Legion discovered: Jesus overcomes all evil and makes you CLEAN! She learned what I pray we all could understand ... no matter how untouchable you think you might be ... no matter how UNCLEAN -- Jesus will touch you and make you CLEAN!

blessings,

pastor ellis

LEGION AND THE TOMBS

"They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. ... Then Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?'  'My name is Legion,' he replied, 'for we are many.'"   -- Mark 5:1-3,9

Legion is all we know. It's a Latin military term that stood for 6000 troops. He tells Jesus, "I got the name because there are many of us in here." 6000 demons is a lot for one man to deal with. So, he became known, and will forever be known, as Legion. We never discover the man's real name. Even after Jesus heals him, he is still known as the man who was once Legion. Sometimes the things that ail us, if they linger too long, come to define us.

He lived in the tombs. He cut himself. He howled at night like a crying cheetah. Everyone said he was insane. Possessed by some terrible demon ... try 6000 terrible demons. Something happened to him and he couldn't leave the cemetery. He goes there every night to cry. He lingers during the day trying to find a way out. But it never comes. I'm sure there were days early on when he said to himself, "Tomorrow's the day. I'll put on my best suit, walk through the gate, and never look back." But the years went by and he never left. He started to hate himself for it. His self-loathing developed into self-mutilation. He was stuck in a cycle of grief that had spiraled out of control. And it began to define him.

Who are you? What defines you? Depressed. Manic. Workaholic. Driven. Type A. Procrastinator. Apathetic. Grieving. Victim. Abuser. Abused. Disappointed. What are the words that will come to define who you are? Do you have to stay there?

He is known only as Legion ... to us. But not to his family ... not to his friends. At the end of the story, after the messy swine incident, the man formerly known as Legion begs Jesus to let him become one of his disciples. Jesus says, "No." It's not in the cards. Instead, Jesus tells him, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you" (Mark 5:19). And the man does it. And Mark reports that the man was quite successful at the telling. "So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed" (Mark 5:20). He became the first Gentile evangelist.

To us he is known as Legion, the man possessed by 6000 demons. But to his family and friends, he was forever known as Christian, the man who was rescued from 6000 demons, and lived to tell about it. He goes home. Isn't that amazing? He doesn't have to live in the tombs anymore. He goes home.

You don't have to stay among the tombs. Your weaknesses and failures and losses don't have to define you. You can go home.

blessings,

pastor ellis

FAITH AND FEAR

"A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"  -- Mark 4:37-38

Haven't you ever felt that way when life's furious squalls come your way? The waves begin to break over your boat and you realize that you're probably not going to make it out of this one without some major damage. Do you every wonder, "Jesus, don't you care if I drown?"

Jesus is in the boat with his disciples. It's been a long day of teaching, preaching and healing, so he's catching a few winks before they get to the other side of the lake. Galilee was famous for it's sudden squalls. The sky would go from bright blue to gray to black in a matter of minutes and before you could do anything about it the wind and the rain were beating down. That's what happens to the disciples and it must have been pretty bad for these experienced fishermen to feel afraid.

That's what happens to us in life. We're experienced with stress. So when trials come we think we can handle it. Until it's a little too late. The thing is overwhelming us and we're about to drown before we admit fear and are willing to concede that we CAN'T handle it.

The thing about the disciples (an us) is that they had Jesus in the boat with them. Mark has worked his first three chapters to brilliantly establish the identity and authority of Jesus. Now he'll place the exclamation point on his work. Jesus wakes up and yells at the wind and the waves, and in an istant the lake is like glass. He looks at the disciples, and rolls his eyes as he says, "Where's your faith?"

The other day when we had a thundestorm, the lights in our house went out for about an hour. We scrambled for candles and flashlights. We have an entire collection of flashlights, but no batteries. I finally found one flash light that had tired, but working batteries. The light was strong ... at first. But as time went on its ray weakened and towards the end of the hour of darkenss it was flickering, sometimes on, sometimes off.

My faith tends to be like that flashlight. Sometimes piercing the darkness with a light whose strength surprsises even me. Other times weaker, but still working. And sometimes, when the darkness lingers as black as a starless, moonless night in the country, I find my faith flickering, sometimes on, sometimes off.

But here's the thing: No matter how weak (or strong) my faith shines, Jesus is always in the boat with me. The one who has power over the wind and the waves (and the darkness) is in my boat. And even when my faith is too weak, he will arise and act.

That's all I really needed to know ...

blessings,

pastor ellis

HEALING FAITH

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'"  -- Mark 2:5

The four amigos carry the fifth amigo to the feet of Jesus. It takes them a while to get there. They can't get in through the door. The windows are not an option. So they go to the top of the house -- the flat mud roof -- and start to dig their way through. They are destroying private property to get their friend to Jesus. Why? They will let no obstacle stop them in their quest. Why? If they get into trouble afterwards, their willing to take the consequences. Why? Because it's worth it. One touch from Jesus. That's all it takes. If Jesus just looks at him, their friend could be healed. And they know it. They know it the way I know the sun will rise tomorrow. That's called faith, and it's worth more than gold when you have it ... even more when your friends have it.

Jesus looks at the four friends and says TO THEM, "YOUR FAITH has healed him."

I have a friend who went through a life threatening illness. He was bedridden for months. He was in excruciating pain for days at a time. He is a man of faith. He is a pastor. He tells me that there were moments when he had no faith left ... moments when he just wanted to die, and no longer believed God would do anything for him. He tells me that he knows that in those moments it was the prayers and the FAITH of his family that kept him alive. According to him, there's just no other explanation. THEIR FAITH healed him.

Something to think about next time you pray for someone.

blessings,

pastor ellis

SAYING, I LOVE YOU!

"At that time Jesus came from Nazareth, in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my son whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'"  -- Mark 1:9-11

This is one of the most dramatic moments in Jesus' life. It is the inaugaration of his earthly ministry. It is the beginning of the movement that will shake the world. Jesus is still just Joseph's son. Everyone knew him that way. He's kind, smart, and engaging. They know him but don't really "know" him.  Well, now he's opening up. He's opening the door for anyone who is genuinely interested.

Once he opens himself up ... lightening strikes. Jesus is who he is and he came to do what he came to do and nothing will ever be able to stop him. A few verses down the line, Satan tries to stop Jesus. But he can't, and he can't stop those of us in Christ, either.

Jesus needs to hear from God. Jesus needs some kind of reassurance that he is doing the right thing. Jesus is thirsty for more of God and dreams of God's will for his life. God quenches the thirst and fulfills the dream with his words.

"This is my beloved Son." God, the father, acknowledges that Jesus is his. There goes my boy. He's mine. He also acknowledges that he loves Jesus. He says, "my BELOVED son."  Do you realize that you are the beloved of God? God loves you the same way he loves his Son. And he acknowledges that he is pleased (proud) of his son.

There are three things every child needs to hear from their parents: 1. You are mine, 2. I love you, 3. I'm proud of you. God says all three to his son.

If Jesus needed it from his father at that crucial moment in his life, how much more so will our children need it from us?

blessings,

pastor ellis

CELEBRATION

"... with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." (Luke 15:20)

When I become aware of my sinful state I can do one of two things -- feel sorry for myself, and blaming circumstance for my condition, wallow deeper into my separation from God, OR turn to God. If I choose the latter I find God is there. It's the only time in scripture that God is pictured as running. The only time God is hurried is that moment when I turn from the world to his open arms. God's deep love for me transcends all else. His desire to be with me saturates every part of his existence. His will for my life is centered on my communion with him -- all esle is secondary. That communion with the Father will never fail -- His love is always ready to celebrate.

"We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." (Luke 15:32)

The celebration banquet was not for the lost son. It was for the Father. HE was the one who wanted to celebrate.

When the woman finds her lost silver coin she celebrates, but the celebration is not for the coin. She calls her friends and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin." (Luke 15:9)

When I turn to God HE celebrates. The celebration is HIS. The joy is HIS. The party is for HIS Kingdom. I have done nothing to deserve it. HE runs to me. HE kisses me. HE orders the heavenly celebration and then HE rejoices. HIS Kingdom is glorified and HIS love for me never dies!

blessings,

pastor ellis 

SUBMISSION

The discipline of Submission frees you from the overwhelming burden of always having to get your own way. Isn't it emotionally exhausting to tend to every minute detail of your life in order to be sure that everything is exactly as you want it? Some people will be in a funk for days, even weeks, because some little thing did not go their way. What a waste of time and energy. What a waste of life!

Instead, allow me to suggest a life of submission. This is a life spent, as Mary, at the feet of Jesus asking Him what He would have you to do. Once you hear his command then you simply obey. There are things worth fighting for. There are details worth fussing over. But only those things that Jesus has whispered in your ear. His voice is the one you submit to. His will and his way are what you bend your life around. What you will discover is that his yoke (his calling and teaching) is easy and light. Once you submit to him, everything else begins to fall into place.

I'm not saying that life gets easier. Sometimes it gets harder. But even the tough times don't seem as difficult, because Jesus is with you, and so are others. When you begin to submit your life to Jesus then you begin to serve others. Their dreams and goals and aspirations become important to you. You find a new and liberating freedom -- the freedom to give up your own rights for the benefit of others. The freedom to feel genuinely happy at the good fortune of someone else. Even if you don't "feel" as "fortunate" as they are. You can be happy because you are submitted to the will and way of Jesus.

The one word of caution I would give with this spiritual discipline is to be careful about submitting to anything that, or anyone who, becomes abusive or destructive. Jesus is not in that. Jesus did not come to destroy, but to save. He saved you for a relationship with himself, his Father, and your fellow human beings. The spiritual act of submission teaches you to place those relationships above your own selfish desires.

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed, "Father, not my will, but your will be done." And you know what happened next. When is the last time you honestly prayed those words to God? Let me warn you, from experience, it's a dangerous prayer. The spiritual exercise of submission is not for wimps.

blessings,

pastor ellis