While I will admit that stereotypes exist for a reason, I would venture to say that no one person embodies all of the characteristics of a stereotype. Christians are a social group that has many stereotypical behaviors attached to it. "Christians" don't play cards, or don't dance, or don't drink alcohol. These are stereotypes, however, they are not based on the foundation of Christianity; they are based on people who claim to be Christians. In the special case of Christians, we should define our own behaviors not on what other so-called Christians do, but rather on what Christ did. There is benefit in looking to other believers for guidance. Remember James 1:27 tells us that true and undefiled religion is to take care of other people (care for the widows and orphans) and to keep one's self unstained by the world. Perhaps, I would choose another believer's moral compass to help me begin building my foundation, but ultimately, it is Christ who defines Christianity. This is exactly why our study has been focused on Christ's life. By the way, Christianity is not about what you don't do; it is all about what you actually do.
Week 11 - Unlikely Places 2
Are you
the type of person to follow God no matter how illogical His instruction
seems? Do you find yourself moved to
help people as Jesus was or do you push people away? Do you embrace God’s call to go even to the undesirable
people of the world?
Luke
24:13-35 (NASB)
13
And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus,
which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each
other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and
discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were prevented
from recognizing Him. 17 And
He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another
as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 One of them, named
Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and
unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What things?”
And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet
mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and
our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was
He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third
day since these things happened. 22
But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the
morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they
had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us
went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him
they did not see.” 25 And He
said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the
prophets have spoken! 26 Was
it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His
glory?” 27 Then beginning
with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things
concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
28 And they approached the village where they were going, and
He acted as though He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him, saying,
“Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly
over.” So He went in to stay with them. 30
When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and
blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to
them. 31 Then their eyes were
opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 They said to one another, “Were
not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while
He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour
and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who
were with them, 34 saying,
“The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate
their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking
of the bread.
These 2 guys were so engrossed and overcome with
the circumstances surrounding their lives that they were oblivious that Jesus
was walking and talking with them.
Granted, Jesus was supposed to be dead, but they were blind even as
Jesus spoke with them. I find it most
interesting that they didn’t even recognize Jesus when He began speaking to
them in verse 25. Why did they not
identify Him when He began from Moses and the prophets expounding on why the Christ
had to suffer? Then they were so
invigorated by His company that they begged the unknown Stranger to stay the
night with them (culturally they were compelled to do so as well). It was when Jesus broke bread with them that
they finally recognized Jesus for who He is.
Then they remembered, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He
was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to
us?” Would you have missed Jesus?
Week 11 Daily Readings
Monday
Monday
Read John 14:1-15. In this passage, we see 2 disciples
asking questions. It’s not the big 3
(Peter, James, and John) who speak here, it’s Thomas and Philip. It is important to note that Jesus cared
about all of His followers, not just the big 3.
Jesus in His classic way was speaking of future events and the disciples
weren’t grasping it, so Thomas asked a question, and Jesus responded, “I am the
way, the truth, and the life…” Then
Philip went further and asked Jesus to demonstrate what He was claiming. Jesus’ words were somewhat cutting, ‘Don’t
you know Me, Philip?’ No matter who you
think you are in the body of Christ, Jesus cares about your questions, and He
has answers for you. The answer may be
as straight forward as the ‘I am’ He spoke to Thomas, or as faith-based as the
‘Trust and know Me’ He spoke to Philip, but be assured that God cares about you
and your concerns.
Tuesday
Read John 18.
Jesus, the innocent, do-gooder is on trial? Really?
What is this? Once again, this is
not the place the Jews would have expected to see their Messiah. Of course, nothing He has done has been what
they expected. The commoners loved His
teaching and healing, but He had harsh conflict with the religious
leaders. Why was Jesus on trial? The battle was about one thing which Jesus
clearly identifies in verse 37, truth.
Pilate responds, “What is truth?”
The religious leaders had been hiding behind their pious masks for so
long that they had missed the truth, and here Truth was standing before them, yet
they chose to seek His destruction.
Henry Thoreau once wrote, “Under a government which imprisons any
unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.”
Wednesday
Read John 19.
The mass populous, similar to our culture today, was easily
manipulated into calling for Christ’s crucifixion. It has been said that ‘a committee can make a
decision that’s dumber than any of its members.’ Do you find yourself led by things that sound
and/or feel good? Are you swayed by the
popular opinion? One of the toughest
things for a leader (political, religious, or otherwise) is to make the right
decision even when it is not met with popular approval. In our day and age, with mass media in
various forms, agendas are easily communicated.
This world wants to control what we and the next generation think and
believe. Unless you are filling your own
mind with God’s word and God’s will, you will succumb to this world’s
agenda. If you wish to be a man of God,
you must study to show yourself approved and learn to handle God’s word
correctly (2 Timothy 2:15). As Max Lucado
stated, “A man who wishes to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
crowd.”
Thursday
Read Luke 24:1-6. Are you surprised that Jesus was once again not
where He was supposed to be? He died 3
days before these ladies showed up. He
had risen from the dead. How often do we
seek the things of God in the dead places of this world? Do you consistently seek wisdom and advice
from lost friends? Do you look for
release in sinful behaviors or thoughts and attempt to justify them? Jesus is the only answer to what you
seek. Do you remember what He told you
(Matthew 11:28-30)?
Friday
Read
John 20:19-29. Have you ever been in a difficult situation that
you didn’t believe God would or could resolve?
Thomas had found himself in a crisis of faith at this moment. He dogmatically stated that He would not
believe until he placed his fingers in the nail-print palms and thrust his own
hand into Jesus’ pierced side. Jesus,
however, showed up and gave Thomas exactly what Thomas needed in this
moment. Just like Thomas, Jesus meets
our needs in our crises of faith. Are
you looking for the evidence of God’s guidance? 