Reluctant Retiree

People celebrate Easter in many ways and for many reasons. Most have family gatherings and lots of food. Some will have Easter egg hunts. Many will go to church. Unfortunately, many will simply ignore the significance of this day.

Mark 16 tells the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some followers of Jesus went to the tomb bringing spices to anoint the body of the crucified Jesus. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb entrance. Then Mark writes, “And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.'”

Easter is not a cute story of bunnies and eggs. It is the life giving and life changing story of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He did die a horrible death on the cross. And His blood provides the salvation that we all need. But He does not remain dead and in the grave. He is risen indeed! It is His resurrection that gives life to those who believe. It is the resurrection of Jesus that gives us hope for eternity and life today. This is cause for celebration!

If you have ever been in a position of leadership or management, you have been given stewardship over resources and responsibilities. Furthermore, you have entrusted others with a stewardship over their responsibilities and resources. In both cases, it is expected that these stewards faithfully manage the stewardship they have been given. Neglectful use and management of the resources and responsibilities usually incur serious consequences.

I Corinthians 4:1-2 says, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” Believers in Jesus Christ have been given wonderful blessings and honor as children of God. We are also considered by God to be stewards of these blessings. We must multiply the blessings by investing them in the lives of others so that they can share in them. Faithfully sharing our blessings and thereby multiplying them bring God glory and a high return on His investment in us.

We can be jealous or envious in a number of ways. We may desire what another person possesses. We may want the admiration directed toward another person directed our way. We may want the honor afforded to another. We may simply want to be like another person.

I Corinthians 3:3 says, “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” Jealousy is a uniquely human experience. All of us exhibit this dangerous desire in many ways. Jealousy is a self-centered emotion that usually leads to disputes.

Only the person who trusts God can diminish jealousy tendencies. When we trust God to provide what we need, we are not desirous of what others possess. He will faithfully provide for our needs. God-centered focus removes the source of arguments caused by jealousy.

When we lived in Nepal, merchants had several price levels. The foreigner was charged the highest price, Nepalis were charged a lower price, but the best price was given to those of the same people group. We have similar pricing in the United States, as certain people can receive a discount if they qualify in some way defined by the merchant. However, charging different prices based upon ethnicity is forbidden by law.

James 2:9 says, “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” God does not show partiality in imparting His grace and love. The Bible says, “Whosoever may come”, meaning all are welcomed by God into His salvation and redemption. Therefore, we cannot show partiality in our friendships, service to others, and love. Just as we have freely received from the Lord, we must also give to others.

A new political scandal seems to pop up every week. Politicians have made themselves appear righteous and proper, otherwise they generally do not get elected. However, when they are subject to the bright lights of public scrutiny, many have their terrible secrets revealed and they are publicly dishonored. Athletes, movie stars, and any high profile celebrity is subject to similar risks. It is because we make of show of being good in order to be liked, but we take little care of our hearts and minds to make sure that they are right.

Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders of His day when He is quoted as saying, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” (Luke 11:39) The religious leaders, that is the Pharisees, made hundreds of rules regarding cleansing. Some rules were spiritual in nature like the required offerings. Many rules were related to day to day activities such as hand washing. The rules were extremely cumbersome for the people. Nobody could possibly keep them all consistently. The leaders laid these burdens on the people to keep them subject to the religious elite.

Jesus pointed out that God is more concerned with our inward purity than with clean dishes. He wants us to have pure minds and hearts, loving people and God. We spend far too much time on our outward appearance, while neglecting the development of virtue, purity, and righteousness in the inner man through the power of God’s Spirit. Let’s repent from our outward focus and ask God to purify our hearts and cleanse our hands.