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Jesus had just been taken from the high priest Caiaphas to the praetorium where the Roman governor Pontius Pilate presided. And then I read one of the most ridiculous statements in this whole crucifixion scenario.
In order for you to grasp the full impact of this outrageous request, let me take you back in time a few hours.
Jesus was arrested by the temple guards without there being any formal charges filed against Him. He was taken to the home of the former high priest for an off-the-record interview to attempt to get Jesus to stumble in something He said so that they would have official charges to lodge against Him.
The Sanhedrin was then convened in the middle of the night. Witnesses were brought in not really to testify as to what they saw or heard, but because the Sanhedrin was “looking for evidence” (Mark 14:55). In the meantime, the Sanhedrin asked Jesus to answer non-existent charges without having any legal representation of His own. They even resorted to physical violence to try to coerce Him to say something incriminating.
The Sanhedrin eventually reached a non-unanimous decision, without any corroborating testimony, to ask Pilate for the death sentence.
Now here comes the silly statement—“Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover” (John 18:28).
To avoid ceremonial uncleanness?!
In their blind fury and rabid self-righteousness, these men broke both mosaic law and their own rules of order. Doing things like:
not securing charges first before arresting Jesus
physically abusing Jesus without a conviction or even a proper trial
meeting at night instead of during the day
not calling in witnesses one at a time
not getting corroborating testimony from two or three witnesses
not allowing Jesus to have a legal advocate
not getting a unanimous guilty decision before asking for the death sentence
After all that, they’re concerned about being ceremonially clean for the Passover? Oh, the silliness!
Then I began to wonder: Am I guilty of this same folly?
Do I keep my own set of rules? Do I justify bending God’s rules because of what I think are special circumstances? Am I self-righteous? Do I really think that I can do things the way that I want to do them and that God will put His stamp of approval on that?
Isn’t it far better to simply follow God’s ways, to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to my conscience, and then to repent if I begin to deviate from the truth?
I need to always deal with my own self-righteousness first—to take care of the plank in my own eye before I point out the speck in someone else’s eye. Or else, I am being just as silly as those religious leaders were!
You may also be interested in these related blog posts:
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There are some know-it-alls who want to tell pastoral leaders how they should have done things differently. Much like the “armchair quarterbacks” that seem to know all the right calls a team should make, even though they have virtually no experience.
Pastor, pay very little attention to those armchair quarterbacks that would speak into your life!
To put the quote that Jim shared from When Sheep Bite into context, here is the full passage—
Jesus is our perfect example of a Shepherd Leader. His example was to lay it all on the line, regardless of how the sheep were behaving or misbehaving: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). By contrast, Jesus warns us that those who are not willing to put their lives on the line for the sheep are worse than armchair pastors—Jesus calls them mere hired hands: “The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (John 10:12-13).
If I am called to be a shepherd leader, attacks will come from both sheep and wolves. It’s what I do in those hard times that shows whether I am truly called or merely acting as an armchair shepherd.
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We have to be very attentive when we hear anyone say something that they claim is a word from God. The first question we need to ask is, “Is that in the Bible?” If it is, then the next question is, “Is that statement being used in its proper context—does it conform with the whole counsel of God’s Word?”
So here is statement #14 in our series—An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Is that in the Bible? Yes.
This first shows up in Exodus 21:24, and it is a part of the legal code God gave through Moses (Exodus 21:1). This code was entrusted to capable men (i.e. judges) in Exodus 18:19-22, 25.
This has been referred to as “the law of exact retribution.” Later on the Romans would name it lex talionis—the law of the tooth. This was to prevent one-upmanship or escalating retaliation, and it also applied to false witnesses who were trying to get someone else in trouble (Deuteronomy 19:15-21).
By the time of Jesus, this legal maxim was so well known that when Jesus quoted it to His audience, everyone knew what it meant (Matthew 5:38).
One of the most innate responses that we humans have to threats or to an attack is fight-or-flight.
In this case, flight would be sweeping it under the run or pretending it didn’t happen. But it did happen, and there is a sense of justice in us that wants to see retribution. If this offense isn’t acknowledged and dealt with appropriately, the desire for retribution will allow unforgiveness to fester. This shows up in all sort of negative ways—physically and emotionally—and often there is a breaking point where the injured party lashes out.
Fight would be taking the law into our own hands. I want everyone to know that I was wronged by you, and I want you to suffer more than you made me suffer. But the first time this law is given, God calls for precise compensation (Exodus 21:22-25).
God’s means for carrying our the lex talionis today is exactly the same—a legal code administered by trained judges (Romans 13:1-4).
This is the law of the land—the natural law—but Jesus calls on us to respond supernaturally. Not to be the judge or jury, but to remember that God perfectly judges and vindicates (Luke 8:17; Deuteronomy 32:35).
Jesus continually calls us forego the natural reaction for the supernatural response. Notice the repeated pattern of, “You have heard that it was said” and then, “But I tell you…” in Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-37, 43-44 and specifically vv. 38-42.
If our eyes are on the one who injured us, our eyes are off of the only One who can vindicate and heal us (Romans 12:17-21).
Natural people merely react out of innate instinct. Supernatural people are able to respond with Christlike love.
Don’t give in to the merely natural reaction, but submit to the Holy Spirit who can help you respond supernaturally.
A.W. Tozer said, “There’s an awesomeness about God which is missing in our day altogether; there’s little sense of admiring awe in the Church of Christ these days.” May we repent of little prayers and boldly pray to an awesome God who wants to do awesome things that will bring Him glory!
I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.
This is a very informative Q&A session with cold case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace. But I especially like his answer to the first question: Do Christians have to investigate every other religion to be convinced that the Bible is true?
“Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. … No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky; no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. … Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.” —Charles Spurgeon
“Mature Christians can be recognized by a variety of indicators. They feast on the Word of God (Hebrews 5:14), persevere in love and good works (Hebrews 6:9-10), bear the fruit of the Spirit rather than the marks of the flesh (Galatians 6:16-23), use their gifts to help build the church (1 Corinthians 12:7-11; Ephesians 4:12-16), teach the things of Jesus to others (Hebrews 5:12: Acts 1:8), and more. This, the New Testament insists, is the condition toward which every Christian strives.” —T.M. Moore (check out all of the Scriptures T.M. references here)
“Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done.” —W.E.B. Du Bois
Jesus shows us that only secure people can serve others. Insecure people won’t ever make themselves vulnerable, and so they miss out on God’s blessing. I address this in more depth in my book Shepherd Leadership.
…All the people from the small to the great approached and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our pleading come before you, and pray for us to the Lord your God for all this remnant—since we have been left only a few out of many, just as your own eyes now see us—that the Lord your God will tell us the way in which we should walk, and the thing that we should do.” Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the Lord your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the Lord gives you as an answer. I will not withhold a word from you.” (Jeremiah 42:1-4)
You can hear the distance that the people felt from God in the words they say to Jeremiah, “the Lord YOUR God.”
But Jeremiah reassures them that God still sees them and loves them when he responds with the exact same words—not “the Lord my God” (as the people thought he would say) but “the Lord YOUR God.”
This word of encouragement from Jeremiah helped this same group of people to see God in the right light: “Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord OUR God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well for us when we listen to the voice of the LordOURGod” (v. 6).
This is a good reminder for all of us that we need to encourage one another whenever we have the opportunity. “Let’s approach [our] God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith … and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:22, 24).
You may want to check out my post A Unique Look At “Church” for some further thoughts about encouraging our brothers and sisters.
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In today’s episode we’re going to—IMPATIENCE! Yes, we’re talking about impatience. As a leader it can be hard to resist the temptation of impatience, but Greg and I believe that developing patience is a vital skill for leaders. In this episode we’ll explore some of the pitfalls of impatience, and share strategies for you to develop into a more thoughtful and patient leader.
[0:14] We’re looking at the leadership builder vs. killer of patience vs. impatience.
[1:41] Patience is sometimes misperceived as not being in control—like we’re simply waiting around for something to happen.
[2:27] Can patience be developed?
[3:50] Patience allows a process to mature, and helps people grow.
[7:35] Warning: patience can cross a line into procrastination.
[8:30] Leaders need to avoid the temptation of impatiently answering too quickly.
[10:50] What leadership pressures make us give in to impatience?
[12:59] Leaders can help their teammates with their own impatience by asking some thoughtful questions.
[15:28] Ego + Bad advice = Dangerous impatience
[16:40] Patience helps leaders trust both the process and the people around them.
[18:33] Leaders need to be aware of what’s happening in themselves when their patience is stretched. Patient leaders grow their leadership influence.
[22:24] Greg quizzes me about the origins of patience.
[24:45] I make a confession about my impatience in my early years.
[25:55] Greg shares an insightful quote about the value of patience.
Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.
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Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in life, and in their deaths they were not separated; they were swifter than eagles, they were mightier than lions. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with jewelry, who put gold jewelry on your apparel. How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slaughtered on your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been a close friend to me. Your love for me was more wonderful than the love of women. How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished! (2 Samuel 1:23-27)
It’s not surprising that David honored his friend Jonathan in song after his death. But it is surprising that Jonathan remained faithfully at his father’s side, fulfilling his duties as a son and a prince of Israel, although he did not agree with his father’s treatment of David.
In Jonathan we see the obedience to the fifth commandment: Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12).
And it is also surprising that David says nothing bad about Saul in this song of lament, but only praises him for his valiant victories as Israel’s king.
In David we see a true picture of forgiveness—where a forgiven transgression is a forgotten transgression, no longer held by David against his tormentor. Later in his life, David would write about the mind-blowing truth that God obliterates the record of our forgiven sins, never bringing them up again (Psalm 103:10-12)!
Is it any wonder that David and Jonathan became and remained such close friends? From the moment Jonathan first heard David speaking about his trust in God, they became “one in spirit” and forged a covenant friendship that lasted even beyond Jonathan’s life (1 Samuel 18:1-4).
May we learn from these two God-fearing, faithful friends what it really means to honor others, whether we call them friends or others might call them “enemies.”
In my book When Sheep Bite I have a chapter called “When the sheep slander you.” In that chapter, I dive deeper into the lesson leaders can learn from how David treated Saul both during his life and after his death.
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I am a big fan of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). They are founded on biblical principles. I would paraphrase two of the most important ones as: (1) We need a Savior to set us free and (2) We need friends to lean on. James 5:16 says this as succinctly as any verse: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
AA says: “Often times, a person with substance use disorder may have a need for control that can prevent them from achieving peace of mind. They may feel frustrated that they cannot control the actions of other people and turn to substances like alcohol to control their feelings, even though the control that alcohol provides is a farce. The Serenity Prayer is a gentle reminder that letting go and accepting a loss of control can help put an end to the substance abuse cycle.”
In light of our series called Is That in the Bible? let’s ask, is the serenity prayer in the Bible.
No, it’s not, but still there are some very important principles we shouldn’t miss from this prayer.
The full prayer is—
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever and ever in the next. Amen.
Should Christians pray a prayer like this? Biblically, there is nothing wrong with Christians praying prayers that have been written by men or women, provided that they don’t contradict the words God has spoken to us.
Remember James 5:16 that we looked at earlier? The Personalized Promise Bible has a prayer for that verse:
If I have stumbled in any way, I do not need to fret over it—I can rest in full confidence that the Lord loves me and forgives all of my shortcomings. I also know that sin is a hindrance to my healing. Therefore, if there is any sin in my life I repent of it. I confess my sins to trusted brothers and sisters in Christ, gaining strength and praying in agreement with them so that I will be healed.
In a similar fashion, I see several passages of Scripture that are woven into the serenity prayer.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” Proverbs 1:2-3 describes the help God’s wisdom gives us for daily living.
“Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time.” Jesus taught us to pray each day for our daily bread (Matthew 6:8, 11).
“Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.” Jesus also taught us to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10), and He also prayed a very similar prayer Himself when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).
“Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will.” Jesus promised us both trouble in this world and His overcoming power to stand strong in that trouble (John 16:33).
“That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever and ever in the next. Amen.” Jesus promises eternal rewards that vastly outweigh the trouble we may face in this life (Luke 12:32; Matthew 25:21, 34).
The bottom line: The Bible is not just a Book to read through but a Book to pray through. ALL Scripture is for ALL servants of God. ALL Scripture is applicable to ALL the circumstances we will ever face in life.
If something like the serenity prayer—or any other man-made prayer—is based on Scripture and helps give voice to your prayers, use them! But use them as guides to help you begin to form your own prayers from biblical passages you are reading for yourself.
Craig T. Owens 