Trials

Last night I watched a movie called "One Night with the King." It somewhat accurately follows the journey of Queen Esther and her pursuit to save her people, the Jews. Amidst the unknown circumstances of the fate of their people, a friend of her's wants to escape. She replies, "Perhaps instead of asking questions of our trials, our trials are meant to ask questions of ourselves." What profound words, even if they didn't come directly from Queen Esther's lips. We so often look at hard times and trials longing to escape, longing to be in different circumstances that are happier, more satisfying and with wider ground to stand on. Instead, this quote shows the abundant goodness of our God within trials because they are some of the most defining moments we face. Trials make or break us and both situations can still lead to our good if we let God be God.

Trials remind me when Jesus calmed the storm. "Let us go across to the other side," Jesus said. They didn't hear Him, or at least didn't take it in and hold that statement dear as they felt themselves falling from life when the great storm arose. Did you hear it? Jesus said they were going to get to the other side and yet when the storm arose they all lost their faith in Him and doubted His plan. We're not so different, are we? They run to Jesus in exasperation crying, "Do you not care that we are perishing?" Oh, I look at my life and I wonder how many times I've felt myself falling, felt myself 'perishing,' unable to survive much longer. And all along Jesus is there whispering, "Katie, do you not know that I know? Do you not know that I have a great plan to get you to the other side? Do you not have faith that I will act on my promises and carry you through your entire life? Are you that hard-hearted and cold, are you that deaf, are you that doubtful of my abundance, great mercy and power?"

When Jesus calmed their storm, they were terrified and said, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" Do we realize His great power and authority that even the wind and sea obey Him? He's a great God, a God that answers these men when they cried out, even in their lack of faith. What trials do we face that instead of asking "why?" of those hard times we should instead be searching within and seeing what questions of ourselves these times are meant to answer.

Actions

"And when the men had come to Him, they said, 'John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'' (21) In that hour He healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind He bestowed sight. (22) And He answered them, 'Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them'" (Luke 7:20-22).

I'm really good at being a Christian with words; I'm really bad at being a Christian with actions. As I read this passage last night I thought initially that vs 21 was misplaced. John's disciples asked Jesus a direct question which a simple "yes, I am the one" would have sufficed to John. He could have proved His birth from Mary or His lineage to David. He could have made some prophetic statement about John or said something really holy. Better yet He could have recited an Old Testament prophecy that He was fulfilling and intimidated John's disciples with His overwhelming knowledge so much so that they would just take His response as a "yes I am." But Jesus didn't abide in the world that many of us abide in.

Jesus lived above the need to justify Himself. He lived above satisfaction in worldly affirmation and the need for people to acknowledge His greatness. Jesus lived on a Godly plain in which He sought to do the Will of the Father by being Holy, being just, being loving, being righteous, not just saying holy, just, loving and righteous things. Jesus lived what He taught. In the passage, right after John's disciples asked Jesus if He was the one, Jesus healed. I can picture the scene now: They ask him a question, He looks at the them tenderheartedly, and then turns to go about His work- nothing out of the ordinary, nothing special on that particular day. No longing in Him to prove Himself or any extra effort because these were important people that He needed to impress. None of that. He simple turns and loves people by relieving them of their ailments. He heals their bodies hoping that they would see also His ability to heal their souls- healing of far greater value.

I'm sure in that moment that Jesus turns from their question to go about His work the disciples looked puzzlingly at Him thinking, "Dude, we've come a long way and if you could just answer the question so that we can get back and go about our work that would be great." (sure, they thought it respectfully in case this was the Christ!) Then they stood back in amazement as Jesus answers in His actions. He performs miracles they'd never seen before and loved people in such a mighty way that it left them positive He was the Christ.

I wonder if people know I'm a Christ-follower by my actions and not just my speech? Particularly in the secular working world, most of our Christian communication comes through our business practices, our integrity in our work, our handlings and investment in the people we spend 40+ hours a week working with. I wonder if they know I'm a believer by my body language and my work ethic? I wonder how much time I invest in 'the least of these' and not just the people that can help me. I wonder how much Kingdom building I do everyday and not "katie-building." Jesus spoke by His actions and then His speech. What will we be known by or will we be known at all?