Thursday, April 12, 2018

"so, how was your day?"

















“Not a bad party, only busted two balloons and a window..” was the by-line to a Dennis the Menace cartoon that used to hang on my bulletin board.  I kept it there as a comical reminder of how some people view success by if they had a good time or not.  Like George Costanza wanting to make sure Jerry thought his date was pretty before he would like her, we live in world of acceptance, and of wanting to win.  But to some a loss may be a victory, and others a victory may be a loss.  It’s up to you to decide.  When selling cars, where a blown deal selling AMC products was the norm, we were asked “where were you weak?” and the excuses began to flow.  We were never weak, it was the other guy, it wasn’t our fault Ramblers were junk, that a Chevy had better resale value, or that Ford had better financing.  Yet in one brief moment, another salesman and I named Dicer, actually sold a car to a customer who was paid to come in and review us, without us knowing.  We only found this out later, but we were the hit of the next sales meeting.  The customer even coming back and telling us how he had no intention of buying a car, but we were so good he bought anyway.  The new joke becoming “what did those guys do wrong that you guys were doing right?”  I would term that “not a bad party...”
But post analysis, like Monday morning quarterbacks, are everywhere.  Which brings our stupid questions from less than brilliant reporters, trying to make news where there isn’t any.  Like the crook who was asked “why did you shoot at him?” and his answer, “because I thought I’d hit him,” often I am reminded of a seventh grade field trip to see a judge and how a court works.  After an hour or so of seeing cases tried, the judge asked if we had any questions.  One guy Eddie, who looked like Mr. Spock sans the ears, asked “what kind of toothpaste do you use?”  Indeed, perfectly logical, don’t you think?  I would have loved to hear the judge telling his wife that at dinner, “how was your day dear?”  “Normal except for this Vulcan looking kid asked me what toothpaste do I use...”  So how was your day?”
Lent has come and gone and some who celebrate it have made great sacrifices for God.  Not watching TV for a month, no more Diet Coke, getting to work on time, driving the speed limit, and other acts of heroism.  All in the belief they are making a great sacrifice in the name of God.  Obeying a law, or denominational tradition, hoping it reflects on them.  Like the guys who brag about fasting, it is about them and not about God, lest we get confused.  At least Dennis was honest about the window...but we find a flaw in the law, and it took Aaron to show Moses, the messenger of the law from God to point it out.
After all the blood sacrifices were done, the party over, and the clean up began, Moses confronts Aaron on a procedural move.  Not wanting to be found guilty of not obeying the sacrifice, why wasn’t the sacrificial ceremony completed, Aaron’s answer gives us great insight to why we need Jesus.  And why we still need Jesus, and why the sacrifices we make, or think we make, all fall short of the requirement of a loving God.  His answer to Moses was simple, “two of my sons have died, despite giving a sin offering.  Evidently there is some depravity that we have not come to see in our lives.”  It seems that forgiveness of sin goes much deeper than the law, it is based on grace.  The worship of God is not a rote ritual, but must come from the heart, a broken and contrite one like Psalms tells us.  Now Moses, the bringer of the law, got it, but do we?
God is not concerned or interested in our services or rituals.  He wants it personal, including Jesus, as the basis.  Yet so many today act religious, taking the road of a Pharisee after telling about the freedom in Christ, then showing “how we worship this way.”  And wanting to fit in, we join in.  But Jesus wants us to go deeper, to seek and follow his spirit to places rituals cannot take us.  Aaron saw that thousands of years ago, do we?  God is not interested in us going to church if that is all we do, if we give only to get a tax receipt, to pray and sing worship songs if our hearts are not in it.  If our heart is not in it, we labor in vain.  So what is God looking for?  How do we please him?  Cut out the religious nonsense.  When Paul addressed the Corinthians, he didn’t say “stop or you will die.”  He just told them to stop, to go back to the one you love and forget about the rules of love, and start showing it to others, which will reflect in how you love Jesus.  All he wants is us to come to him with an open heart, that is honest, obedient, and responsive to him.  That is what he delights in and will not despise.  Sin goes deeper than the action, and repentance goes deeper than saying “I’m sorry.”  The guy next to you in church may be impressed with your singing, but God sees the heart.  Has your church life become repetitive?  Seek Jesus, you may be surprised at how much more there is to life than Sundays alone.  It took Aaron the loss of two sons for him to see, God sent his son so we could see.  How precious is Jesus to you?
Do you desire to go deeper in Christ, to see the things of God?  Or are you satisfied with only what  you are taught?  I’m sure Moses take was different after the sacrifices than Moses was.  “Not a bad service, sacrificed two lambs and my sons...”  It took something precious to Aaron to teach him, God sent Jesus, his most precious gift to show us.  So how was your day Aaron?  Better yet, how was yours?  Which will tell us how your tomorrow will be.  and bring your own balloons...
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com