“The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations is now disclosed to the saints.”  (Col 1:26) 

What is this mystery?  St. Paul says it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory!”  (Col. 1: 27)  Can Christ be in us?  Jesus says, “Remain in me and I will remain in you.” (John 15:4)  In fact, he says if we do not remain in him we cannot bear fruit in our lives.  He uses the analogy that he is the vine and we are the branches, and says no branch can bear fruit by itself.   He then makes the dramatic statement, “apart from me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5)  We may think we can, but not really if we remember that God gives us the abilities and gifts by which we accomplish things.

I have a friend who teaches Ancient History to middle school boys at a Christian school that has received two Blue Ribbon Awards from the U. S. Dept. of Education.  He also serves as the property manager for the school and the administrator for a Christian community that supports the school.  His life reflects a veritable market of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

In his many and varied responsibilities he treats all people, regardless of who they are, with kindness and respect – students, parents, fellow teachers, repairmen, and all who come to him requesting his help.  You can find him on campus humbly fixing a toilet in one of the school’s buildings, as well as taking time after class with a student needing extra help on homework. 

In contrast to most of our society today, he and his wife took in his elderly parents when they could no longer care for themselves, including his father whose remaining years were burdened with advanced Alzheimer’s.  Early in their marriage they lost an infant son.  In the course all of these challenges he has maintained a bright smile, a lively sense of humor and the joy of the Lord.  My friend loves God and he loves people both in his words and actions.  His life reflects “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

If we invite Jesus into our lives and remain in him, what kind of fruit is Jesus talking about?  St. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal 5:22-23)

From all of this, we see that Jesus wants to stay connected to us, as a vine is connected to a branch, and live in us by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we will bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

How can you reflect “Christ in you” in your life?

Several years ago at a colleague’s retirement party, I honored him for the way he treated people with care and respect.  In doing so, I compared him to the Good Samaritan in Jesus’s parable by the same name.  We may recall that the Good Samaritan came to the aid of someone who had been attacked by robbers and left to die by the side of the road. 

Apparently, I unwittingly offended someone when I made reference in the story to a Levite and a Jewish priest who had passed by the person having been robbed.  The next evening I received a threatening phone call.  I was accused of maligning Jewish people and their religion, and that the caller said he would get even with me.  The caller did not allow me to apologize or explain what I was trying to say with the parable, only that I should watch out because he was going to get even.  Fortunately I never heard from him again.

Of course, this small example does not begin to compare to the way that Peter, Paul and the early Christians were persecuted.  For example, after Peter and John had been preaching salvation in the name of Jesus and had healed a cripple by the temple gates, they were brought before the Sanhedrin and ordered never to preach in his name.  The Book of Acts reports that the Sanhedrin had them flogged, and then dismissed them.  “So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” (Acts 5:41)

Imagine, for healing a lifelong cripple, the Sanhedrin had the apostles beaten!  In Roman times this was done by stripping a person, tying his hands to a post and beating him with a whip with multiple leather straps.   

While we may be shocked by this cruelty, Pope Francis says, “Martyrs are more numerous in our time than in the first century.”  According to Open Doors International, “2022 brought more than 360 million Christians to suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.” Over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been killed since 2009.  While Christians in our country have not experienced this kind of persecution, we are not immune from the trends of growing hostility to Christian norms dealing with life, marriage and sexual conduct.     

All of this reminds us of Jesus’ last Beatitude, “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” (Mt. 5:11-12)

Are you willing to be persecuted for speaking about Jesus? 

After returning to work following a week off for the Christmas holidays a number of years ago, I found myself facing several deadlines that all of sudden seemed impossible to meet.  That night I was unable to sleep because of my anxiety over all the pressure I was facing. 

Appraisals of performance were due by the end of the week on employees reporting to me.  A speech for the annual kickoff meeting of our entire marketing department of over a thousand people was also due.  The finalization of our litigation budget for outside counsel covering a docket of over 1500 cases was yet another item.  On top of these things was the general negative fallout from my having declined to accept a new assignment a few months earlier because we believed it would have a negative impact on our family.    

I shared my anxiety with a small group of Christian men with whom I regularly met.  They encouraged me and prayed with me for peace and wisdom on how to practically deal with each task.  After seeking my own prayer I was able to establish a plan for the group of tasks.  By week’s end all but one of the appraisals were completed.  The speech was finished and our staff was able to do most of the work on the litigation budget. 

St. Paul reminds us that prayer guards our hearts and minds against anxiety.  He says, “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.    Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7.

In looking back it is easy to see that I had lost my peace because I had not taken my anxiety to the Lord.  I started worrying and condemning myself for letting things slide.  I was not guarding my heart and mind with prayer to Jesus as St. Paul suggests. 

Jesus encourages us not to worry but to seek his kingdom and righteousness first.  He said, “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.”  (Mt. 6: 33-34)  The boundary between peace and anxiety is a thin line and easy to cross, but we have Jesus as a sentinel to guard our minds and hearts if we choose to call on him.  “I sought the Lord, who answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4) 

Do you take your worries and anxieties to Jesus, or do you keep them to yourself?     

“Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are—the Holy one of God!” (Luke 4:34)

These words were addressed to Jesus from an evil spirit who was in possession of a man in a synagogue in Capernaum.  Jesus had come to the synagogue to teach the people when he encountered the man “with the spirit of and unclean demon.”  He commanded the spirit to come out of the man. 

How ironic!  Many of the Jewish people – the religious leaders, those in authority, even the people from his home town, did not recognize Jesus for who he was—the Son of the living God.  Yet, throughout the gospels, we see reports of evil spirits who recognize Jesus, cower at his presence, and beg him not to destroy them. 

We should not be too critical of the people of Jesus’ day in not to recognizing him, for how often have we failed to recognize Jesus’ presence in our lives?  The world and its many attractions, demands, and cares often dull our senses to the presence of Jesus.  Our busyness causes us to overlook his work in us and others.  Our low expectations of God obscure his action in our lives.  The noise in our lives obscures his quiet whisper in our thoughts.

This past weekend I had the privilege of taking communion to men in the local jail.  I saw Jesus in the men who were eager to understand Sunday’s gospel readings.  They are searching for the truth in acknowledging their circumstances and in desiring to bring change to their lives. 

It is not uncommon for us to miss the presence of Jesus in our family and those closest to us.  When I take time to reflect, I see Jesus in my wife who has cooked meals for an elderly couple in our neighborhood or for people going through chemotherapy or facing other medical issues.   I see Jesus in our adult children who are all raising active families and passing on our heritage of faith to their children. 

Mother Theresa used to say that one of her motivations for serving the poorest of the poor was that she saw the face of Jesus in every one of them.  How many times have I failed to see the presence of Jesus in the people who intersect with my life? 

Do you recognize Jesus in your thoughts, or in the actions of others?

Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged” (Mt. 7:2)  How frightening!  God will judge us as we judge others. 

After Jesus was tempted in the desert, the Gospel of Luke tells us that he returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit and began his public ministry.  He taught in the synagogues of the region and news started to spread about him throughout the whole countryside. 

He came to Nazareth where he had been brought up.  He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and read from the scroll of Isaiah where it is written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of the sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  (Luke 4:18-19)

Then he proclaimed that this scripture had been fulfilled in their hearing.  In other words, he was God’s long awaited anointed one, the Messiah!  At first the people were amazed about his gracious words, but then they started asking, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”They became furious with what Jesus was saying and claiming to be. 

How quick we are to judge and stereotype the people in our lives!

Sometimes we do this even with members of our own families or friends with whom we are most familiar.   We form a view or perspective about them, and then if they step outside our perspective or exceed our expectations, we refuse to accept what we see.  If they change, mature or exhibit growth in some way, we have trouble accepting their new state.  We make a judgment about someone based upon our experience with them or judge them by their appearance. 

We may recall the TV show, Britain’s Got Talent, when a singer from a small village in Scotland, Susan Boyle, appeared on the program.  She was 47, appeared to have a somewhat dowdy appearance and was a bit awkward in her speech and manner.  It was clear that both the judges and the audience had immediately formed a low, almost mocking reaction to her, until she started singing the song, I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables.  

Almost immediately, their mockery turned into shouts of approval and a standing ovation for her beautiful voice.  Even one of the judges admitted afterwards he had never been so surprised by the performance of a singer.  Another judge apologized for her initial reaction.  Boyle became an overnight sensation on the internet and around the world.

How do you avoid judging others? 

“For our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”  (Eph. 6:12)

I have a good friend who spent most of his Army career in defense intelligence serving in Vietnam, Cambodia and in the preparation for Desert Storm.  I have always been fascinated by his stories of how he and his teams were able to develop and provide important intelligence to his superiors that guided our strategies in these various theaters of war. 

How ironic that we wouldn’t think of going to war without knowing our enemy and his plans, but yet we don’t even acknowledge that we have an enemy of life and one who is dedicated to defeating the purpose and desire that God has for each of us!  

We are all tempted by the evil one — even Jesus in the desert at the beginning of his public ministry; even Peter and the apostles at Jesus’ passion; even Paul who said, “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” (Ro. 7:19)

I know that I have been tempted by and given into all of the capital sins of pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony and sloth.  Sometimes, through God’s grace and mercy, and the power of the Holy Spirit, I have resisted them.  Let me share one example.  

In my work as an attorney for an oil company, one of our responsibilities was to represent the company before state legislatures on legislation impacting company operations.  As a result, we would develop and implement the lobbying strategies on the company position developed by our planning department.  One of the employees in the planning department started to critique our lobbying strategies.  At first his criticism dealt only with one issue, and then it expanded to all issues.  He was becoming a real thorn in our side, and I found myself engaged in constant battle with him. 

Then one day, I came across the above passage from Ephesians and I realized that my battle was not with him as a person, but with the pride that was at work in both of us.  I started to pray for him and that both of us could lay aside our pride and work in greater harmony.  After a few months, I noticed that his responses to our work were less critical.  I began to bring him more into the rationale of what we were doing.  We eventually became friends instead of rivals. 

As the Epistle James says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8)

Do you recognize the influence of the enemy in your life? How do you resist him? 

“Small wonder that pride gives birth to division, and love to unity.” (St. Augustine)  Let me share two stories – one ending in division, and the other in unity. 

As an attorney for an oil company for most of my career, I saw many examples of St. Augustine’s statement play out in the corporate world, particularly in cases involving multi-party litigation.  In one such case a west coast oil company had filed a patent on a particular gasoline formula mandated by the state of California.  Since the gasoline formula was required by a state regulation, everyone assumed the formula was in the public domain and could not be patented.   Still, the company who filed the patent brought a patent infringement case against all other refiners selling gasoline in the state.  

So, we had one plaintiff company on one side and a dozen defendant companies on the other.  Sometimes there would be as many as thirty lawyers present at the defendants’ joint counsel meetings.  The pride of supposed expertise of a number of the lawyers made it difficult to establish a unified defense. As a result, a case characterized by some of the defendants as a “slam dunk,” was lost at both trial and on appeal. 

Let me offer a contrasting example.  When I retired, I went to work for Christians in Commerce, now d/b/a WorkLight, a Christian ministry to the workplace.   After about a year, we brought our executive committee together to pray about our vision and mission, and the direction the ministry would take in future years. 

The Executive Committee was made up of five people with very diverse business backgrounds, including leadership positions in banking, advertising, insurance, a former international airline pilot and myself.   In spite of our diversity, we all had a love for God, respect for one another and a desire to seek God’s will for the ministry. 

We spent the first day primarily in prayer and discussion with the following scripture becoming prominent in our thinking: “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)  This gave rise to the belief that God wanted us to expand his kingdom by “being Christ in the workplace.”  We believed he was calling us to encourage and equip Christians to bring his presence into their workplaces in terms of how work is done. 

Our love for God and one another brought a unity of purpose at the time and into the future.  As the years advanced, this unity evolved into our mission, “to encourage and equip Christians to be God’s presence in the workplace by the power of the Holy Spirit, exercising faith, integrity and excellence.”

There is no limit to what unity in the love of God and one another can accomplish!

How do you strive for unity in your workplace?

“Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 10:48)

These are the words of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, who was sitting beside the road outside of Jericho as Jesus passed by.  He wanted Jesus to heal him of his blindness.  Mark tells us that the crowd was rebuking Bartimaeus to be quiet, but he shouted all the more.  Jesus rewarded his perseverance, restored his sight and said, “Your faith has healed you.”  

On another occasion, the disciples were trying to prevent people from bringing their little children to Jesus.  Jesus indignantly said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  He took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”  (Mark 10:13-16) 

On both occasions, the crowd and the disciples were misguided in trying to protect Jesus from people seeking his presence, blessing and healing.  They didn’t understand that all of Jesus’ actions were about ushering in the kingdom of God by bringing God’s presence, love, and healing to the people of their day. 

Jesus continues to bring God’s presence, love and healing in our day to all who seek him through the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is important that we not participate in the action of the crowd that hinders someone in their quest for Jesus.  This is particularly true with respect to raising our children in the Christian faith. 

In a similar way, we must guard against letting others hinder us in fulfilling God’s will in serving him and the people in our lives.  When I was in my early 30’s I occasionally found myself going along with other people in my office in stopping at a local watering hole after work.  This would result in my getting home late and missing dinner with my family.  Fortunately, after experiencing a special encounter with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, I preferred to be home with my wife and family.    

It is tempting to go with the flow of the crowd and do what seems popular and easy, but the crowd seldom gets it right. It was the crowd that yelled, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!” (Mt. 27:22-23)  It was the crowd in the Roman Colosseum that took delight in the killing of Christians in the early centuries of the church. 

One of the laws God gave to Moses was, “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” (Exodus 32:2)  After more than three thousand years, this is still an important rule to follow. 

Are there times when you have been tempted to follow the will of the crowd instead of God?

“When Herod heard John [the Baptist] he was greatly puzzled, yet he liked to listen to him.” (Mark 6:20)  After Herod had John imprisoned, he would visit him, apparently fascinated by the things that John had to say.  Why did Herod like to listen to John?  Because John spoke the truth, and truth is attractive. 

Jesus told Pilate that the reason he came into the world was to testify to the truth.  Pilate asked, “What is truth, though the embodiment of all truth was standing right in front of him?  (John 18:37-38)

There is a purity in the truth that makes it attractive.  We have several common expressions about truth:  “Honesty is the best policy;” “As God is my witness;” “As a matter of fact;” “The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” 

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teachings, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:32) There is freedom that comes with the truth – freedom from guilt, fear, and sin.  All four gospels report how people were amazed at the wisdom of Jesus’ teachings and how he taught with authority.  Truth carries a certain authority with it.

From earliest childhood, our sinful human nature tends to obscure the truth to protect our selfish instincts.  One sibling blames another for starting a fight that the first sibling initiated.  We begin to lie to cover up misbehavior and sinful conduct.  Without strong parental guidance and moral teaching, truth is increasingly pushed aside.

As a lawyer, I was regularly called on to interpret whether certain proposed actions of corporate clients were consistent with applicable law.  Sometimes, a proposed action was in direct conflict with what a particular law or regulation required.  I would have to overcome the tendency to tell the affected manager what he wanted to hear, and instead hold to the truth that his proposed action would run afoul of the law.  In those cases, I would always try to suggest alternative actions that would satisfy both the client objective and the law.  

Truth is attractive; sets us free, and helps us live out our lives with confidence. 

As we celebrate the 247^th anniversary of our nation’s birth this day, even our founders recognized the significance of truth in our founding documents: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness –“

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  (John 14:6)

How do you deal with the challenges to truth in your life?

“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” (Luke 8:39)

These are the words of Jesus to a man named Legion from whom he had delivered many demons.  The Gospel of Luke reports, “For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. Many times [the evil spirits] had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains.”  He was so violent that no one would come near him.  After Jesus had delivered him of many demons, the man begged to go with Jesus, but Jesus told him to stay where he was and tell everyone how much God had done for him. (Luke 8:26-39)  

Jesus calls us to be a witness to him and his action in our lives. (Acts 1:8)  The psalms and St. Paul encourage us to give thanksgiving in all circumstances. (Psalm 100:4; 1Th. 5:16)  So, how do we tell people what God has done for us without sounding prideful or boastful?

Jesus alluded to this question in his Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector where he warned the disciples about being self-righteous.  The Pharisee prayed, thanking God that he was not “like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like the tax collector.”  He went on to say, “I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”  Jesus then said, “But the tax collector stood at a distance.  He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus declared that it was the tax collector, not the Pharisee, who went home justified before God.  The Pharisee was not thanking God for what God had done in his life, but rather what he, the Pharisee had done. (Luke 18:9- 14)

This past week, my wife, Marilynn and I spent six days in Colorado celebrating our 60^th wedding anniversary, the same state in which we spent our honeymoon.  How can you capture 60 years together in marriage and remember all of God’s blessings and some of the trials?  Four married children who are raising loving families and have given us thirteen grandchildren; an adult daughter with special needs who has taught us more about God and his ways than any sermon; a family who truly love each other and get along so well; and personal encounters with the Lord Jesus and his Holy Spirit on back to back evenings one October many years ago.   

So we offer thanks to God for all that he has done for us, not out of pride, but as a grateful witness to his grace, love and care. 

When you experience a blessing from God, do you tell other people about it?