MiM - Lesson 11

Chapter 21
Integrity: What’s the Price?

Integrity can be a hard thing to establish and a remarkably easy thing to lose. In some cases we may never recover with a particular individual if we act unethically. While an individual may need to forgive us it is still our challenge to act ethically and with the highest integrity at all times. In the work place we meet a wide variety of people. Some are easy to figure out. With some people, you know if their mouth is open and sounds are coming out that they are telling lies. Other people you would pretty much trust at all times and there are plenty of people in between.

Proverbs 26:24–26
Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

For someone who is completely given over to hate and deceit (seven being the number of completeness) the deception will not last for ever. Their integrity will be lost and sin will be evident.

One of my favorite quotes of all time will probably never show up on anyone else’s list of quotes. It is a quote that Josh Steiner

I made no attempt to be inaccurate, but I want to be clear I was not attempting to be precise. (Treasury Chief of Staff Josh Steiner, accused by Congress of lying when his diary entries did not jibe with what he told them - Clinton Administration about 1994).

I’m afraid that those words were barely out of his mouth before he had no more integrity to lose. We can lie by playing loose with the facts. Mr. Steiner was spinning the truth and then trying to spin the way he was spinning the truth. One thing a bunch of politicians can recognize is a person telling lies.

Recently a magazine for people who work on and run in political races put on a series of seminars and discussions on “All Things Ethical”. They put on the convention in Las Vegas and it included a seminar titled, “The Ethics of Deception: What is the Whole Truth, and When is it Required?”
http://www.examiner.com/a-626675~Yeas___Nays__Monday__Mar__19.html

We live in a world in which integrity is not honored. Fortunately I’ve forgotten the names of the individuals over the last 20 years but an individual in my organization was applying for a leadership position. The person that would have been his new boss asked him if he could lie to the people he was supervising if it was necessary. The implication was that you should say yes or you wouldn’t get the position. We live in a fallen world but we are called to righteousness. We must not tell lies. We must not “bare false witness” and within a relationship within which we represent another’s employer it is especially important that our integrity be above question.

God works to build faithfulness and trustworthiness in us. His Holy Spirit works to bear fruit in us. Integrity is what you do when no one else knows and God is holy and hates sin. We are tempted to “adjust” the truth daily and God hears every word we speak. Can God trust us when we are alone? If someone gives you the incorrect change do you speak up and make it right? Do you cheat a poor person on the tip at a restaurant? You’ll be challenged this week to stretch, compress, or massage the truth. How much is your integrity worth? Maybe it is a new job or maybe it is just a few percent of a lunch tab.

Morley quotes John Ruskin as saying:

The essence of lying is in deception, not in words. A lie may be told by
silence, by equivocation, by the accent on a syllable, by a glance of the eye
attaching a peculiar significance to a sentence. All these kinds of lies are
worse and baser by many degrees than a lie plainly worded. No form of blinded
conscience is so far sunk as that which comforts itself for having deceived
because the deception was by gesture or silence instead of utterance.

If you can reject that truth then you can rationalize attending a seminar with a title like “The Ethics of Deception: What is the Whole Truth, and When is it Required?”

Morley lists 3 reasons that a business deal can go bad. If the deal goes bad because of 1) an error in judgment or 2) a change in the environment then that is unfortunate. If the deal goes bad because of the third reason (Integrity) then you’ll be subject to God’s judgment. Integrity is of paramount importance to God. God is looking for men who will live with, and stand up for, truth. God will continually challenge us to a greater and greater integrity and truthfulness with the light of His Holy Spirit. Think twice before you pray like the psalmist in Psalm 139, “Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” He’ll do it and you’ll get a reality check from God. It is a good and essential path for you to take but it can be a tough path.

I worked with a guy at NCSU who is about 35 years older than I am. He planted the first fescue in North Carolina about 1940. He grew up on a tobacco farm and liked to tell stories about his youth. One of those stories really stuck with me. When the rural electric came into his part of NC, his parents were anxious to get electric power and they were excited. His dad liked new technology and his mom was an excellent housekeeper and proud of their home and so they wired it and put 100 watt bulbs in every room. Well, those houses were not sealed like ours are these days and when the bulbs came on they could see the fly specks and soot from kerosene lamps all over the walls. His mom started crying and his dad took out all those 100 watt bulbs and when back to the hardware store for some 50 watt bulbs. God will not turn up the wattage faster than we can take but we do need to have the light turned up. Pray for God to search your heart and ask for the Grace not to look for a dimmer switch.

Ephesians 4:15-16
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:17-25
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

You must speak the truth in love. You are held to a higher standard of behavior than before your salvation. Putting off the old self is an activity that you need to be pursuing actively so that you can put on the new self and be righteous and holy.

MiM - Lesson 10

Chapter 20
Avoiding Suffering

Trying to avoid suffering is a natural reaction. The problem is that we are going to find ourselves in the middle of trials no matter how we try to avoid them. We don’t go looking for trials but we’ve also got to realize that God can see us through them. I can walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death as God leads me but I hope I never find myself in that valley apart from God’s leading. If you have the poor judgment to wander into a trial then remember that God is the one to lead you out and you’ll still grow in the process.

1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 4:19
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

It is important to remember that God does not tempt us to sin. A trial is not a temptation to sin. We are tempted when our sin nature seeks some gratification or pleasure apart from God’s gracious provision and leading. The enemy of your soul can be involved but ultimately your sin nature is where the fight is centered.

We may sin in a trial but God has purpose in those trials. We are called to entrust our souls to Him and continue to do good in the trial. That means we can sin in the midst of a trial by lack of courage, impatience, anger toward God, etc; however, the trial doesn’t tempt. Trials call us higher while temptations call us lower. God uses trials in our live but temptations are just our corrupt sin nature. Trials work virtue into our lives but temptations lead away from virtue. If we are in training for an athletic event, a coach may use severe trials to build us up. Lance Armstrong would ride some of the worst climbs in the mountains on his bicycle multiple times in one day getting ready for the race when he would only do it one time. The coach wouldn’t offer days off as a training technique to see if we would take them. I think we want to have high 5s all around when we pass on a temptation to sin as if we have gone through a great trial.

There are real trials out there to train us to accomplish great works. We need to know Scripture when we are tempted with questions such as the ones that Morley outlines in which we question God and His motives. One of the things that we learn in trials is to not question God and Him motives. He knows the plans He has for us. Plans to make us whole and give us a future. That is the truth (Jeremiah 29:11) and yet, when we are young in God, we’ll think He has forgotten us and doesn’t have a plan.

Morley has a list of 7 things that might result in suffering in our lives and only 1 of the 7 is a legitimate test or trial of our faith.

1) The Innocent Mistake – Sometimes we have an accident and nobody did anything wrong. We can suffer sometimes and yet God can use it for good and He will lead us from that point forward.
2) An Error in Judgment – In this case we actually make a mistake and suffer for it. We violate a guideline and get burned. I liked the statistic that Morley referenced stating that 50% of cosigners on loans end up repaying the loan themselves. An yet a portion of that 50% may still be doing what God led them to do.
3) An Integrity Problem – Sometimes we sin and suffer for it as we have violated the law of God or sometimes the law of men.
4) The Environment Changes – This is much like the innocent mistake but laws and rules change and sometimes we get caught by them.
5) Evil Happens – There are bad people in the world and sometimes we suffer as a result.
6) God Disciplines – Sometimes we suffer as a result of discipline from God for doing wrong. As God’s child you can expect Him to be active in your life.
7) God Tests – These are the trials that are more precious than gold because they purify us and prepare us for eternity.

In all cases our response and behavior in the midst of the trial is important in our relationship with God. Suffering doesn’t automatically produce maturity or insight. I remember when I first found out that I had rheumatoid arthritis (which is currently pretty much no problem at all) I was questioning God about why and how it would affect my life. Lance Armstrong had recently come out of near fatal cancer and so I read his book, “Its Not About the Bike” looking for maturity and insight. Well I didn’t really find any.

Morley outlines some common responses in the midst of suffering:
1) We plead with God’s sense of fairness to give us a break
2) We compare ourselves to other people and argue with God
3) We pout about our situation in anger against God
4) We shout about our situation in anger against God, and
5) We doubt God, His motives, and His ability

It is right to pray for deliverance. Most of us don’t need to be told to pray for an end to suffering in our lives. After that we need a real peace of mind to know that God hears and has a plan. Also we have to know that God is not without sympathy for us in the midst of our trial.

I think perspective is also a strong motivator. We know that we’ll be spending eternity with many who have really suffered for Christ’s sake. Others in this world and in the last few years have lost their lives, family members, jobs, property, etc. While we don’t go looking for things like that to happen to us we need to have a deep respect for brothers and sisters who are suffering persecution and remember them in prayer.

Virtue in LOTR - Love

Love – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and Samwise Gamgee

We are given some characteristics of love in 1 Corinthians 13. We know that love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not arrogant, is not rude, does not insist on its own way, is not irritable, is not resentful, does not rejoice at wrongdoing, rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

As I mentioned last week, we are talking about God’s love. Agape love is volitional first and emotional second. This is the form of love that is to be brought into our lives as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. By the Grace of God, we exercise our will to express love in a way that is patient and kind without envy. God’s love is emotional but emotion does not rule it. One especially tragic lack of Agape Love is in marriage. In a secular marriage, two people make a volitional commitment (as statement of their intention) to love until death driven by an emotional bond. Consequently when emotions change then they no longer have any volition (will) to remain married and the marriage ends. A secular marriage would be better summarized as “till death due us part as long as I feel like it” but that would sort of crush the mood. For a Christian, we experience all the emotions but we should enter into the commitment with a clear knowledge that we are committing our will and we actually intend to exercise our volition (our will) “till death due us part” and will walk that walk even when our emotions fluctuate. In other words, our volition leads our emotion. That is the Agape Love brought to life by the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

Within the LOTR one of the most outstanding examples of love that rises to the level of Agape and patterns it for us is the love of Sam Gamgee for Frodo. His commitment to Frodo was made as a result of the command of Gandalf as “punishment” for eavesdropping in a land without eaves as Sam quickly pointed out. Sam was found by Gandalf when he choked after hearing that Frodo would need to leave the Shire. It was a willing commitment because Sam loved Frodo. Frodo tried to leave Sam as the Fellowship of the Ring was broken but Sam’s devotion prevented him leaving on his on and also prevented a failure in the quest to destroy the Ring. Remember that Sam saved Frodo after his fight with Shelob and capture by orcs. Sam even briefly became a ring bearer when Frodo was unable to be ring bearer.

“In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command.” (LOTR 3.177)

Sam’s love for Frodo was tested as Frodo became more and more burdened by carrying the ring. Frodo did not always trust Sam and was not always lovable to Sam. Sam was challenged to bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. When he saved Frodo, saved his sword, saved the phial of Galadriel, and (most importantly) saved the Ring of Power from falling into the hands of the enemy, Sam holds it out to return it to Frodo. He even offers to share the burden but Frodo says;

‘No, no!’ cried Frodo, snatching the Ring and chain from Sam’s hands. ‘No you won’t, you thief!’ He panted, staring at Sam with eyes wide with fear and enmity’ (LOTR 3.188)

Sam weeps but he does not stop loving Frodo. It wasn’t the only trial of his love for Frodo either. Remember that Frodo tried to send Sam home because he didn’t tolerate Gollum but Sam’s love for Frodo, and concern for what Gollum would do to Frodo, turned him around and brought him back.

There is a picture of Spirit filled intercession in Sam carrying Frodo up the slopes of Mount Doom:

Sam looked at him and wept in his heart, but no tears came to his dry and stinging eyes. ‘I said I’d carry him, if it broke my back,’ he muttered, ‘and I will!’
‘Come, Mr. Frodo!’ he cried. ‘I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he’ll go.’ (LOTR 3.219)

Sam couldn’t take the burden from Frodo but he could lift them both up and carry them up the mountain.

Summary
The virtues are not independent from each other. Conceptually we can view the Theological Virtues with Love at the apex ruling the Cardinal Virtues through Faith and Hope. So first is Love then, through Faith and Hope to Prudence and then on to Temperance, Justice, and Courage. I’d encourage you to meditate on these virtues any time but especially as you read the LOTR or view the movies.

Virtue in LOTR - Hope

Hope – Colossians 1:3-5 and Aragorn
All the virtues interact so the particular virtue needed in a particular situation is the key virtue for that time and place. Hope can provide a strong anchor for us as we run with patience the race we have set before us. In fact, if you lose hope then your courage can falter and we may fail to exercise faith and agape love. I say “exercise” and not “experience” because faith and agape love will demand action in our lives. The Colossians faith was exercised and evident to others as was their love and they were given life by the hop laid up for them in heaven.

For example,

Colossians 1:3-5
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,

We find our Hope in God and in His work in our life and courage to live as He has called us to live. This virtue is relatively simple to link to the LOTR because hope is the name of one of the characters. However, it was a secret name that was used in youth and then was not used afterwards. Aragorn had lots of names “But he was called Estel, that is “Hope”, and his true name and lineage were kept secret at the bidding of Elrond; for the Wise then knew that the Enemy was seeking to discover the Heir of Isildur, if any remained on the earth” (LOTR 3.338). You need to read the appendix to find out that Aragorn was called Estel as a child. It is also interesting to note that Estel as a man’s name fell out of fashion in about 1920. The story of Aragorn and Arwen the daughter of Elrond addresses the hope established in Aragorn. The movie embellishes and partly misses the point of Arwen but as my dear wife points out, ladies want to see the romance in the story and not in the appendix.

Aragorn fell in love with Arwen when he met her. He was a very young man and Elrond was not thrilled about Aragorn’s love for Arwen. She was far beyond Aragorn in stature and had a lifespan that was essentially eternal. Aragorn then left Elrond (lovingly and not in anger) and began the process of becoming the Aragorn we meet in the LOTR. Aragorn spend his life as Isildur’s heir waiting and wandering. “His face was sad and stern because of the doom that was laid upon him, and yet hope dwelt ever in the depths of his heart, from which mirth would arise at times like a spring from the rock” (LOTR 3.341).

When Aragorn was full grown … he was in Lorien resting and Galadriel (Arwen’s mother) gave him elvish clothes to wear. At that time Arwen saw him and fell for him the way he fell for her when he first saw her. They “walked unshod on the undying grass with elanor and niphredil about their feet. And there (Cerin Amroth) upon that hill they looked east to the Shadow and west to the Twilight, and they plighted their troth and were glad.” “Arwen said: Dark is the Shadow, and yet my heart rejoices; for you Estel, shall be among the great whose valour will destroy it” (LOTR 3.341). In response Aragorn says that “with your hope I will hope.”

Aragorn’s mother died before the fighting began to bring Sauron down. She just gave up. She says, in elvish, “I gave Hope to the Dúnedain, I have kept no hope for myself.” But Arwen and Aragorn kept the hope of his kingship alive. The banner that Aragorn unfurls as he goes into battle is a banner made by Arwen for him. In the end Aragorn becomes King and Arwen gives up the eternal life she could have had and becomes mortal. The movie is a little insulting to Arwen in the waffling they infer. Arwen was the Evenstar of her people. She was as the evening star Venus at the twilight. Elves don’t waffle once a decision is made and she was, arguably, the best and the brightest of the elves. She was the daughter of Elrond and Galadriel and as such brought together the best of Rivendell and Lothlorien.

The faithfulness that was shown in Aragorn and Arwen and the love they had for all those with whom they fellowshipped (and not just for each other) was the result of the hope they had in the future. Arwen didn’t waffle and Aragorn knew she would be there at his coronation. They got married after his coronation. Aragorn’s coronation was required to meet the requirement of Elrond . Arwen and Aragorn had a long and happy life together as king and queen although for Elrond it was a great loss because he went west across the sea and had to leave his daughter who gave up her immortality and stayed in Middle Earth.

Virtue in LOTR - Faith

Faith – Hebrews 11 and Faramir
Since faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen … a living faith must change behavior.

For example:

1 John 1:5-7
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

A living faith produces faithfulness as a fruit of the Spirit. We are to submit ourselves, by the mercies of God (not in our own strength) as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable, as a spiritual worship. We are not to be conformed to this world but we are to be transformed by the renewal of our minds so that we may discern the will of God and what is good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:1-2). We are called to live faithfully as stewards of our lives.

I think one of the most exceptional characters in the LOTR is an illustration of an a faithful steward and that is Faramir. To make his faithfulness more striking Tolkien provides Faramir’s brother Boromir and his father Denethor of Gondor. Boromir couldn’t stand to be around the One Ring of Power. Boromir wanted the Ring for himself and he was unfaithful to the charge he was given as one of the Fellowship of the Ring.

This is what Faramir says about his brother:

‘And this I remember of Boromir as a boy, when we together learned the tale of our sires and the history of our city, that always it displeased him that his father was not king. “How many hundreds of years needs it to make a steward a king, if the king returns not?” he asked. “Few years, maybe, in other places of less royalty, “ my father answered. “In Gondor ten thousand years would not suffice.” Alas! Poor Boromir. Does that not tell you something of him?’ (LOTR 2.278)

It sounds like the question each of us should be asking ourselves to remind us that God is Lord and we are stewards of our lives and of all resources in our control. We need to be careful about sitting on the throne of our lives while we call Jesus Lord.

Faramir had a deep respect for Mithrandir or Gandalf. In fact, it aggravated his strained relationship with his faithless father Denethor.

Here is what Faramir says about himself:

‘For myself,’ said Faramir, ‘I would see the White Tree in flower again in the courts of the kings, and the Silver Crown return, and Minas Tirith in peace: Minas Anor again as of old, full of light, high and fair, beautiful as a queen among other queens: not a mistress of many slaves, nay, not even a kind mistress of willing slaves. War must be, when we defend our lives against the destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend: the city of the Men of Númenor; and I would have her loved for her memory, her ancientry, her beauty, and her present wisdom. Not feared, save as men may fear the dignity of a man, old and wise.

Faramir was confronted with the ring and it was within his grasp. It stumbled his brother and he failed at the trial. Faramir vowed that, “Not if I found it on the highway would I take it” and comments to Frodo, “If you took this thing on yourself, unwilling, at others’ asking, then you have pity and honour from me. And I marvel at you: to keep it hid and not to use it. You are a new people and a new world to me.”

We see the unfaithfulness of his father Denethor at the end of his life. He selfishness and unfaithfulness nearly result in the death of Faramir. Denethor decides to kill himself and choose the time of his passing. The steward had played King so long that he thought he would decide when to lay down his life (ironically this gift was given to Aragorn the true King).

Gandalf told Denethor in his grief that “Authority is not given to you, Steward of Gondor, to order the hour of your death” and that “To me it would not seem that a Steward who faithfully surrenders his charge is diminished in love or in honour.”

Faramir was on his deathbed but Aragorn called to him and treated him in the Houses of Healing and when he awoke he said, “My lord, you called me. I come. What does the king command?” There are so many flashes of the light of the Gospel that they seem even more extreme to me because the book is not an allegory. To fall in faithful service like Faramir and to wake up at the call of my King sounds about as good as I could hope for.

Éowyn of Rowan (the woman who goes to battle) had a real problem with faithful service and provides another illustration. While Boromir was unfaithful and his heart would not submit and his father was slothful and would not submit, Éowyn looked faithful but all she did was for glory. The movie misses these points pretty badly. She had no hope (LOTR 3.145) and wanted the glory of battle. Her love for Aragorn was not a love of him but rather of the idea of him and the glory he had in leading men and encouraging them. Her motives were corrupted by self although she looked faithful. That is a condition that is common in our day. Aragorn made sure that once she was in the hospital that she stayed there to “heal” (LOTR 3.147).

The theme of stewardship is particularly strong in LOTR and I think particularly convicting because of the stewardship role we have in our life. Faramir’s faithfulness becomes redemptive in the live of Éowyn. She gets back on her feet and tells her nurse that getting healed isn’t always good and death in battle isn’t always bad. Then she wants to see Faramir because he is in charge and she wants something to do. She tells Faramir, “…I can not lie in sloth, idle, caged. I looked for death in battle. But I have not died, and battle still goes on.” (LOTR 3.237) She was pretty much the definition of a bad patient. After a long while and many walks with Faramir, they loved each other and “Then the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.” (LOTR 3.243) She learned faithfulness from Faramir and left of seeking for selfish glory.

One other picture of faithfulness and unfaithfulness is seen in the trip to the Gate of the Dead by Aragorn (LOTR 3.063). The faithless had failed and died and Aragorn gave then a chance to make it right. I was in an exercise class the other day and the instructor said, “Don’t quit on me! Quitting is forever but pain only lasts a little while.” Well the dead army at Blackroot met the King of the Dead and they got another chance. This was a picture of purgatory but I think for us it is a clear picture of the importance of faithfulness in our lives. Run with patience the race that is set before you. Quitting is forever.

Virtue in LOTR - Justice

Proverbs 21:15 and Galadril
Justice is something that we all generally ascribe to as a desirable thing. One of the reasons we like to watch police shows is that they typically have the bad guy get caught and justice served in 1 hour. We grew up with cowboy movies that made it simple to find the bad guy with the black hat and know that the good guy with the white hat would be able to give him what he had coming to him before the movie was over. Justice is also a characteristic of God.

For example:

Deuteronomy 32:3-4
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Frequently I’ve watched a news story and wished for swift and precise justice so that evil people would get what they deserve and could never escape justice. We see people we know must be lying and you can’t really do anything but wish for a judge that can see the heart.

For example:

Proverbs 21:15
When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.

Unfortunately while we may say we love to see justice come in the life of sinners we don’t really think about how it might impact us because we don’t generally have Gimli’s willingness to submit to examination. We typically judge ourselves as better than the next guy or gal so hopefully God is grading on a curve and will deal with the really bad people first and just leave us alone.

For example:

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

God is perfectly Holy and without any sin. He hates sin and will not tolerate it in the least. To be near God and aware of His holiness is to be convicted of our sinful nature.

For example:

Isaiah 6:1-7
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.

Within the LOTR we can see Galadriel representing justice. Even the influence of the Lady Galadriel was sufficient for Boromir to want to keep the evil in his heart away from Lothlorien and what a search of his heart would reveal in him. Even someone like Aragorn had to eventually turn aside from her gaze.

It is important to realize that Galadriel’s heart was pure but corruptible. When Frodo offered the ring and tested her hear she was tempted but didn’t give in to the temptation.

She says at the test of the ring, “And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!” (LOTR 1.381).

Sam can't figure out why she didn't take the ring. He says, “I think my master was right. I wish you'd take his Ring. You'd put things to rights. You'd stop them digging up the gaffer and turning him adrift. You'd make some folk pay for their dirty work.” and what does she answer knowing the evil of the absolute power of the ring? She says, “I would. That is how it would begin. But it would not stop with that, alas! We will not speak more of it.” (LOTR 1.382) As a ring bearer herself it took a remarkably pure heart to turn down the free offer.

That ring would expand and empower her justice making it so ruthless that, in her words, all would love her and despair. Everyone would fall short. No one would measure up to the standard. God’s justice is moderated by the mercy flowing from His love and the Grace found in the work of Christ. We can know that, like Isaiah in his vision, our guilt is taken away and our sin is atoned for. But note that in the work on the Cross justice is fulfilled and not justice compromised. Christ paid the price for your sin.

Boromir continued without repentance in the face of conviction. He thought he could hide the wickedness his heart and his continued comments about Galadriel drew a rare rebuke from Aragorn. Aragorn was full of mercy but he had heard enough when Boromir said that he didn’t trust Galadriel.

Boromir said, “I do not feel too sure of this Elvish Lady and her purposes.” to which Aragorn replied “Speak no evil of the Lady Galadriel! You know not what you say. There is in her and in this land no evil, unless a man bring it hither himself. Then let him beware.” (LOTR 1.373)

Virtue in LOTR - Courage

Philippians 1:20-21 and Gimli son of Gloin
God tells us over and over to be strong and courageous. It is a key part of us entering into all that God has for us in our life. The words are used in Deut 31:6, Deut 31:7, Deut 3123, Josh 1:6, Josh 1:7, Josh 1:9, Josh 1:18, and Josh 10:25. There are so many examples of courage that it seems there is courage on every page. For example Frodo and Sam were challenged over and over to show courage. However, I think Gimli provides an example of courage that never wavered. I think you could question his prudence and on occasion his temperance but I don’t think you would question his courage. In courage we are ready to face a trial no matter the cost because the way is the right way to go.

When the Fellowship was headed into Lothlorien they were headed into a very dangerous place for a Dwarf. Dwarves and Elves had a bad history over the last while and Dwarves were not welcome in Lothlorien. They may have come in but they never went out. Gimli never balked but Boromir did. Gimli’s courage was such that if the necessary path went through Lothlorien then he was headed in. His heart was remarkably pure and eventually Galadriel sent word to take off the blindfold and let him walk free.

The question we must ask is, “was Gimli reckless or was he courageous?” Within the context of the LOTR, dwarves were a secondary creation by an “archangel” who was impatient with the pace and direction of “God.” However, since it was not enthusiasm rather than rebellion, God didn’t curse them He incorporated and blessed them in creation. I think the greatest testimony to the true courage of Gimli was found in Lothlorien. Not only did he not blink at entering a place that dwarves were not welcome he was also able to stand under the gaze of Galadriel. She weighed hearts and he came out on the positive side of the scale. All of them blinked (even Aragorn and Legolas) and blushed as their hearts were tried but he, even more than the rest of the fellowship, embraced the search of his heart. If you want courage then submitting to that search of your heart is where courage is required. Scripture says this in many ways but Psalm 139:23-24 after the psalmist is repulsed by evil he prays “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” If you ask God to search you and try you then you had better get ready. Most folks don’t pray that prayer very often but Gimli, after being exposed to the search that tried each of their hearts, asked for only a strand of the hair from the head of Galadriel. Even the elves were amazed at his reaction.

Virtue in LOTR - Temperance

Titus 2:11-13 and Bilbo and Frodo
Temperance is self control and keeps us from excess. If we are temperate then we have the virtue of mastering our desires and passions. In particular, as Christians, our sin nature is suppressed by our redeemed nature. Temperance is often translated self control and it is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). Temperance is not necessarily abstinence. We commonly equate temperance with abstinence but self control is a much larger issue and abstinence is not even necessarily temperate. We see a tragic corruption of temperance in anorexia and bulimia. We can exalt abstinence in an intemperate way. Fasting is directed by Scripture and even has specified purpose in outreach and in blessing others. Fasting is not intemperate since God calls us to it in a prescribed manner. However, fasting could be intemperate when conducted in a manner contrary to that prescribed by God. For example, if fasting is practiced to manipulate God or if a person uses fasting as a way to feel better than other people then even fasting would not be temperate but rather a means of feeding your sin nature. You would be indulging your sin nature.

In the Lord of the Rings I think we have to name Bilbo and Frodo as examples of temperance almost by definition. The one ring to rule them all corrupted absolutely and yet Bilbo carried the ring for an extended period of time and yet gave it to Frodo without violence. The Hobbits as a race were not necessarily temperate. Smeagol or Gollum showed a remarkable intemperance when confronted with the ring and killed for the ring after only a few minutes. Tolkien also played with the lack of temperance in Merry and Pippin. They were often somewhat intemperate but don’t confuse intemperance with honest enjoyment. When I’m temperate in my food intake I have a greater enjoyment of my food than when I’ve been intemperate. Temperance doesn’t reduce our enjoyment it increases it. Feeding our sin nature does not result in greater satisfaction but the enemy of your soul would have you believe that temperance destroys pleasure.

Frodo was chosen for the task of bearing the ring. Gandalf was very suspicious of the ring but wasn’t absolutely sure about the nature of the ring until about the time of the transfer from Bilbo to Frodo. About that time Gandalf realized what was at stake and that time was short. Frodo’s self control is demonstrated repeatedly.

Frodo was aware of the danger of losing the ring to someone like Boromir who was remarkably intemperate and yet Frodo offered the ring freely to Galadriel one of the most virtuous individuals in the LOTR. The offer was a test for Galadriel and she commented that she had passed the test. Galadriel was already a ring bearer. She was wearing one of the rings given to the Elves but the Elves are particularly virtuous and only a step below creatures like Gandalf. The temperance of Faramir is remarkable since the ring was within his grasp and he didn’t grasp it. His temperance is all the more remarkable lack of temperance in his brother Boromir and his father the Lord of Gondor (We’ll discuss them at greater length next week). Frodo and Sam’s interactions with Faramir repeatedly demonstrated his prudence and temperance. He was able to tell that the ring of power was within his grasp but his prudence and temperance kept him from trying to take it.

Virtue in LOTR - Prudence

Proverbs 1:20 to 2:22 and Gandalf
We have largely ruined the word prudence in these days and we really don’t have anything to put in the place of it. This is the virtue that turns the light on for the other virtues and we don’t have a word for it. Don’t you love this age we live in? This is the virtue or moral character to identify (with knowledge and wisdom) the right action, not just in a general sense but for a specific time and place. All the other virtues can be thought of as subject to prudence. For example, the difference between courage and recklessness can’t be discerned without prudence. The difference between faith and credulity is only discerned by prudence. One other error of these last days is to consider prudence to be inactivity. You might hear someone say, “They are showing excessive prudence” meaning that “they” are too slow to make a decision. It is impossible to show “excessive prudence”. If someone waits too long then they were not prudent. Prudence fits with Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 in finding that for everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. Proverbs 1:20 through 2:22 (and in other portions) addresses the importance of wisdom and prudence.

I believe the meaning of the Hebrew word translated wisdom is closer to prudence in the classical sense than simply wisdom. Listen to the following definitions for terms that are typically translated “wisdom” from the Wisdom Literature. The Hebrew word that we translate as wisdom (hakema) combines the knowing, understanding, and timely application and can be thought of as meaning the capacity to understand and so have skill in living. Someone with skill in living clearly has the virtue of prudence in their life.

I don’t think that Tolkien set out to make any particular character exemplify a particular virtue. It is a complex story but often one or more characters form an illustration that provides an illustration of a virtue. Gandalf the Grey is, in my opinion, one of the greatest illustrations of prudence in LOTR. As the Hobbits knew him he was famous for fires, smokes, and lights but “His real business was far more difficult and dangerous, but the Shire-folk knew nothing about it” (LOTR 1.33). Gandalf’s prudence is seen in the transfer of the ring from Bilbo to Frodo, his council to Frodo about the ring,

“‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo.
‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’” (LOTR 1.060)

We need prudence to govern the function of temperance, courage, and justice. Tolkien saw evil as something that takes away and does not give. I think you should think of Saruman in this context. He was actually superior to Gandalf at one time. Gandalf and Saruman are not humans. Within the universe that Tolkien populated … Gandalf and Saruman are “like” angels, not archangels but angels (Maiar). They are creations but they live forever and Saruman’s flirting with evil bled his virtue away. He was imprudent in many of his actions and eventually he became “colorless”. Gandalf the grey became Gandalf the white. White, as you may know, is all colors together in balance. In the end, Saruman the white became Saruman the colorless. In the movie you see Saruman get stabbed and then pierced and killed so they bring a nice closure. Saruman didn’t get that sweet release in the book. In the book Saruman was left in agony at the emptiness delivered by evil and only assassinated late in the book after he took over the Shire.

Virtue in LOTR - Introduction

For the purposes of this brief study I’m going to assume a general familiarity with J.R.R. Tolkien’s work titled, “The Lord of the Rings” (LOTR). In addition, I’ll assume that the book is authoritative in saying what Tolkien meant to say although the movies have become, I suspect, the primary way in which this generation knows Tolkien. I may also refer to “The Hobbit” and “The Silmarillion” from time to time. This class is very brief so we will not be able to look at all that Tolkien has to offer. I hope you realize that we could easily spend a year on this material without exhausting the points that Tolkien has in the book. I may say book instead of books since Tolkien really meant it as one book but most publishers haven’t seen it that way.

One way (I think the best way) to view Tolkien’s great work “The Lord of the Rings” is as a meditation on virtue. It is a very long meditation but it is a meditation none the less if you focus on it that way. Understanding Tolkien as a lover of language – he even created new ones for his book – and as a devout but prickly Roman Catholic; we can begin to see the importance that he attached to virtue and to language associated with virtue. The virtues in “The Lord of the Ring” are generally all in view simultaneously.

Tolkien’s work was intended to be “other” in construction as a fantasy and not an allegory. He was very picky about the way a fantasy was developed and disagreed strongly with his contemporary and friend C.S. Lewis about the way that Lewis would blend various mythologies and construct obvious allegories. What I mean by that is that you’ll never see someone like Aslan in LOTR. Lewis made Aslan an obvious allegory of Christ. The death of Aslan in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is an allegory of Christ’s death. Tolkien’s work reflects spiritual truth in flashes of light and you can never say “Oh well Aragorn is THE Christ figure” because as soon as you do someone else will become an illustration of Christ (i.e., Gandalf or Frodo).

I owe a debt to Ralph Wood (Professor of Theology and Literature, Baylor University) in putting the class together. His book titled, “The Gospel According to Tolkien” is an excellent summary of the key points that Tolkien meant to make in the books. Our outline for this study is a little different. Here we will first study the Cardinal Virtues and then next week we’ll study the Theological Virtues.

Woods says that students have often said that after studying Tolkien’s work they just feel clean. I think that due to the way in which the work causes us to focus on virtue for such an extended period. Unless you have read the Silmarillion by Tolkien you will not even see a name for God in the book. Somewhat like the book of Esther in the Bible, God is the constant subtext and His hand is everywhere but the focus for Tolkien here in the trilogy is virtue. Even as I’ve prepared to teach on the LOTR and the classical virtues it has impacted my life. I’ve seen the challenge in this life to living virtuously and how I fall short and it has been an encouragement to live life the way God intends for us to live. Pat and I spent Friday night and Saturday of this week over in Atlanta listening to Ralph Wood teach a series called “Deadly Vices – Living Virtues.”
God challenges us to live our lives in a virtuous manner. We do not live lives of virtue to earn salvation because that is a free gift in Christ but, as obedient children, God calls us to be virtuous.
For example:

Ephesians 4:1-3
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

THE CARDINAL AND THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES
Well at the start we have to ask, “How do we define virtue or the virtues?” I think that the Church figured this out nearly 2000 years ago and I’ll stick with that general set of virtues as an outline. I’ll define virtue and the virtues in a classical way. I’ll discuss virtue as defined by the combination of cardinal virtues and the theological virtues. Therefore we have 4 cardinal virtues and they are prudence, temperance, courage, and justice. The chief cardinal virtue is prudence. The cardinal virtues were important to the classical Greeks and the early Christian Church recognized them as Scriptural and naturally important even to fallen mankind and adopted them. On the other hand we have three theological virtues which are love, hope, and faith. Love is the chief of theological virtues and in a Christian it is superior to the other virtues and not just hope and faith but, through prudence, will also rule in the realm of the cardinal virtues as well. The theological virtues are not natural to fallen mankind. As an example let us consider love. As a theological virtue we mean God’s love (agape - ἀγάπη) alive in our hearts in which volition leads emotion in submission to God. That volition is called to be in agreement with the volition, the timing, and the methods of God. This is not something that fallen mankind has participated in. This is not to say that fallen mankind has never done a kind or loving deed. It is to say that fallen mankind has never lived out agape and we’ll discuss this more when we discuss this virtue in particular. The love you see portrayed in popular culture has emotion leading volition (backwards) and is not submitted to God.

MiM - Lesson 9

Man in the Mirror (p. 264-289)
Chapter 18
Anger

Just this week the news media have been carrying some reports of research done at the University of Arkansas suggesting that the anger outlets are not constructive and don’t help with anger management. People often argue that you need to blow off steam or you’ll just explode but research seems to show the opposite. The researcher said, “Expressing anger does not reduce aggressive tendencies and likely makes it worse.” The more common line is to argue that if we are intemperate (lack self control) then we’ll be more temperate (express self control). It sounds like the sin nature talking to me. I think the Univ. of Arkansas researchers may have it right in which they suggest that we learn self-control by practicing self-control.

We don’t generally get angry as a result of seeing something unrighteous but we often get angry because we are unrighteous. We take great comfort in the Scripture that says,

Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Paul was quoting Psalm 4:4. But if we are angry because we are selfish and impatient then we’ve sinned in our anger. You can’t be angry for sinful reasons and still be angry without sin. It is a contradiction. God is simply saying that unrighteousness that we face on the outside may make us angry and yet that may be without sin. The family of a martyr may be angry. If you’re yelling out the window at some guy who cut you off in traffic then you’re in sin. It is relatively simple. If you find anger in your heart as a result of sin you see in the world then you may yet be angry without sinning if you do not let the sun go down on your anger. If you let the sun go down on your anger then you are developing a grudge. God knows we don’t handle anger well and quickly will feed our sin nature. Listen to this Psalm.

Psalms 37:7-9 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

We are called on to leave it in God’s hands. Even if our anger is right in response it will quickly lead us to say something stupid or hurtful. Most people don’t get angry and then say something that builds up other people; at least not on purpose.

Morley categorizes the way most men handle anger. First, he discusses the guys with short fuses who just blow up frequently. Second, he discusses the guys with long fuses that make a huge mess when they blow up. Third, he discusses the guys who nurse and grow a grudge looking for a way to get even. Working around people like this is something that we all will likely participate in even if God in His Grace works these things out of our hearts.

Morley lists the following as things which generate anger in our hearts. We can be on our guard against the motivation to anger that these things can bring. Also, if you pay attention, you’ll see these things bring anger to others in your life and you’ll be able (Proverbs 15:1) to speak the soft answer that turns away anger rather than the harsh word that stirs it up. Morley lists the following areas of challenge:

1) Violation of your rights
2) Disappointment with where you are in life
3) Blocked goals in your life
4) Irritations in your life
5) Feeling misunderstood
6) Unrealistic expectations
7) Pathological/Psychological causes

The root causes of selfishness and impatience are expressed in response to these challenges. Unfortunately, while anger can be a right, but limited, response to unrighteousness it generally begins with sinful motivations and ends with additional sin. I think one reason that God says that we should not let the sun go down on our anger at unrighteousness is that while we say we love justice we generally love it for others and not for ourselves.

Our responses to the temptation to anger should be controlled by the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We should ask God’s Grace to:

1) Keep control – ask for self control
2) Overlook offenses – we don’t need to fight back against each wrong
3) Avoid angry men – men without temperance do not make good counselors
4) Appease anger – often you can calm a situation rather than aggravate it


Chapter 19
The Desire to be Independent

We are raised by our parents to be independent and most of us raise our children to be independent. It gives God an uphill battle when He begins to teach us how frail and fallible we are. We just don’t believe it. We figure He must be talking about someone else and we move on in the assumption that we’ll get back to Him when we need Him.

We actually become unfaithful stewards. Everything you have is God’s. All your resources including you and your time are His. You are just a steward and I’m guessing since we are all who we are in our natures … it can justly be said you are, at least in part, an unfaithful steward. I hate the sound of that. It makes me angry and that means I need to go back a chapter and study that chapter on anger again. You are nothing more than a steward. Can you wrap your head around that and on your knees say, “Yes, Lord. I call you Lord because you are Lord and I am nothing but a steward.” If I meditate long enough on that then I’m uncomfortable and really don’t care for all the implications of stewardship.

Are you a good steward or a lord? Are you the lord of your little mole hill?

Listen to Jeremiah describe the bad steward and the good steward:

Bad Steward – The Independent Man
Jeremiah 17:5-6
Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

Good Steward – The Dependent Man
Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

The independent man doesn’t want a Lord. The problem is that there is a Lord and He has claim to your life and He will not drop the claim. He will work to get your attention. Morley says the turning point is “when you stop seeking the God you want and start seeking the God who is.”

We start to sell the God we want in churches. We talk about how God can “fix” your life, make you prosperous, give you peace of mind, help make your family life happy, and make you feel fulfilled. We can appeal to the independent man in evangelism and avoid the “difficult” aspects of the Gospel. It is really a sort of bait and switch evangelism. Jesus said that you had to lose your life to find it and that you needed to take up your cross and follow Him daily. He said a bunch of other hard stuff too.

When you say “Jesus is Lord” you had better hear what you are saying.

MiM - Lesson 8

Man in the Mirror (p. 235-263)

Chapter 16
Pride

The Problem
Pride is the sin of comparing yourself to others in order to justify your actions or to establish yourself as superior. It isn’t necessarily a long process. It can be done very quickly.

Our memory verse for last week was Romans 14:7-8. The verse is:

“For none of us lives to himself, and none of use dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”

The context of this verse is an unrighteous comparison with others. Paul focuses specifically on vegetarianism but it applies much more broadly. We judge another when we are puffed up at our behavior and consider it superior to another.

Paul goes on to say in Romans 14:10-12:

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

God deals with pride in our lives and we need to hear what he says about judging molehills.

I think it was C.S. Lewis who pointed out that pride is the easiest sin to overlook in our own lives but the sin we tolerate the least in others. Pride in others is a good test for pride in your heart. How do you respond to someone who is prideful and thinks they are better than you? Does it roll off or does it burn? You don’t really have much input into the role of pride in another man’s life but you do have responsibility and accountability for pride in your life.

Morley draws the distinction between the feeling that we have when we test ourselves and find ourselves to have been faithful and the feeling we have when we compare ourselves to others and therefore feel self righteous. That joy we find when we are tested and are obedient is not a sin and can be termed pride (Gal 6:4). When we feel superior to others we are sinning (Luke 18:14).

Morley points out that we can fall into error with humility too. We are not to think more highly of ourselves than we should but we are not supposed to enter into a place in which we are dissatisfied with God’s work in our lives. Then we can become self critical rather than expressing Godly humility.

We can become faithless because of the way we respond to blessing (Deuteronomy 8:12-14). Blessing can cause us to neglect spiritual things rather than focus. Blessing reveals our heart and the pride in it in a way that is somewhat similar to running into a prideful individual. God’s abundant blessings, or the prideful individuals we meet, are not creating anything; they are just manifesting what is already present in our hearts – sin.

The Pharisees were the kings of pride in self righteousness. Jesus spoke the truth to them clearly. When you consider their sins committed before the Lord of Glory it is a testimony to God’s mercy that they were not all struck dead on the spot. God is merciful to us too and deals with us as children to correct the sin of pride in our hearts.


Chapter 17
Fear

Our courage is challenged frequently. Fear is an attack that we all face in one way or another. We can have fear for ourselves and fear for others like our wives and children.

An uncertain future can generate fear in health, business, and even in our spiritual growth. Courage is one of the cardinal virtues. God speaks against fear repeatedly because He knows the high profile and hold it has in our lives. Morley identifies some factors that can produce fear.

First, we have been surrounded by lies all of our lives. It is a way of life for some. Second, since there is no free lunch, we are uncomfortable with an unearned salvation. Third, by the Grace of God we know our guilt. So we can have an unhealthy fear of God that comes from knowledge or our sin and His holiness. Our experience in life can make us question what we know. We’ve been lied to and never had a free lunch so why trust the Gospel?

Morley uses the story of Jesus walking on the water and the disciples in the boat to develop a cycle of fear that develops in our lives (Matthew 14:22-31).

1) Reality – We see the wind
2) Response – We become afraid
3) Result – We begin to sink
4) Return – “Lord, save me!”
5) Recovery – Jesus reaches out His hand

I always remind myself of one thing when I read this story. That one thing is that Peter was the only one out of the boat. I don’t think he deserves too much grief for starting to sink but it illustrates our dependence on Christ for accomplishing the tasks he calls us to. Peter was called out of the boat so he was obedient. He prayed for his calling first but he was called. I think the cycle we see Peter in is another cycle in which we should be challenged to short circuit the cycle and move straight to recovery. Our focus should be singular. In other words, even in the midst of the tasks God gives us, we keep focus on God. He enables us. Maybe we all need to be standing on water to remind us that God names the task and we must allow Him to enable us to perform it. It is an unfortunate thing that we stand on earth and forget He called us and must enable us to the task.

Morley makes a really good point about what Jesus went through in the Garden of Gethsemane. We may face things that result in dread and agony. The word used to describe what Jesus went through is the root for the word we use as agony. Even Polycarp who seemed to laugh at death and made a joke at the Roman’s expense would have had dread and agony in his death. Jesus didn’t have fear but carried agony for you at paying the price for your sins.

When our walk with God calls for courage we are likely to be tempted to fear. It is not sin to be tempted to fear but fear is sin. But by the same token we shouldn’t condemn ourselves for dread. Jesus experienced dread but didn’t yield to fear. From the moment Peter stepped out of the boat he was aware that he was on the water and was naturally dreaded sinking in the waves. Fear resulted when he considered his position and ability apart from God and fear was gone when he refocused on Jesus. Just like other sins, when we find fear in our heart we confess it and seek God for strength not to fear.

We may find fear coming from a number of places. Right now in my life I don’t know where I’ll be in a year. In my mind I feel I’m a little old to be in that position. God obviously feels differently. In addition, the possible move feels halfway like being sent on the mission field and halfway like being given a work assignment that I could fail in with no low profile way in which to fail. However, Pat and I have repeatedly told God in prayer that we’re open to His leading in our lives. So are we or are we not? Utah isn’t the Congo. I’ve already been to North Sumatra and Africa without getting malaria or some scary disease. If I’m doing my best to follow where God is leading then I have no right to be scared.

I’ve heard a lot about Polycarp lately and he isn’t a new hybrid fish. Polycarp was an early church martyr. He was burned because he wouldn’t renounce the Faith. He even showed attitude. He studied under the Apostle John and served the church at Smyrna (no not Smyrna, GA). He stood against heresy and his martyrdom is well known. All he had to do was say that Caesar is lord and burn some incense. He refused and was martyred. They set out to burn him at the stake and apparently that didn’t go well due to the wind so he was stabbed. He was 86 years old. We’re going to be with folks like Polycarp for all eternity and more have been martyred recently than in all the other years since Christ. I don’t want any discussions of fear to come up in front of guys like that.

Peter’s walk on the water was not a blind leap of faith. He knew who called him out onto the water. That was why he was there. And his recovery was not the result of a blind leap of faith either. God calls us to courage expressed in faithfulness to relationship with Him. Our faith and our faithfulness are directed toward and focused on Christ. Our courage is needed to produce obedience in spite of the dread we face and the temptation to fear.