Ties that Bind

Every which way but loose

Have you ever felt like people and events were pulling you in several directions at once? My niece in law recently had a premature birth and has been staying at the hospital with the baby, the thing is she has 5 other kids. My wife and I had all five for spring break and then the 1 year old and three year old for about a month and the others on weekends. We were not used to it.

At breakfast I would put the 1 year old in her chair and get her some banana or cereal or something to get her started, during this time the three year old would be telling be that she was hungry, over and over and over again. I once the baby was situated I would fix the three year old some cereal or something and get her started eating, by then the one year old would be almost finished and I would get her something else, during this time the three year old began chanting I’m thirsty, so as soon as I could I would fix her a drink. The one year old would see the drink and stretch out her arms saying Uh Uh Uh Uh, so I would fix her a drink.

By now the three year old was done eating and needed her hands washed and face cleaned. Next the one year old needed her face and hands washed, along with the floor, the high chair and everything else. At this point it was usually time for a diaper change.

By the time I had a chance to make my own breakfast I was torn between satisfying my hunger and just taking a few moments to enjoy the fact that no one was asking me for anything at the moment, except of course the dog who now wanted outside to escape the kids.

The fact is that most of us are pulled in many different directions at the same time. We have responsibilities to our jobs and our families. We have demands on our time not just from them but from our friends and coworkers, the yard needs mowing and the car needs washing. Quite often it seems like we are being pulled in a thousand different directions at once.

ROPE TRICK

In fact the examples I have just given are much, much too simple. If we dug a little deeper we would see that at work it is not just one rope pulling us. The boss has rules and expectations and since he is the boss he gets top billing, the customer has things they want done and of course the customer is always right, our coworkers or other departments need something from us and of course somewhere in all of that we need to get some work done.

At home our spouse has needs and wants, our kids want attention and need both love and discipline, the house needs fixing and a thousand other things.

Our friends urge us to visit or to go out and have a good time, we don’t just deal with one rope pulling us along we deal with hundreds or thousands of ropes pulling us, usually in different directions. How do you keep from getting pulled apart?

In all of that chaos I want to take you to a sea of calm and tranquility, I want to know how He does it, I want to know how I can do it.

Lets take a look at the triumphal entry:

Luke 19:32–40 NASB95

So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord has need of it.” They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”

If you notice here is Jesus at the triumphal entry, the crowds are going wild and treating him like a rock star. How is Jesus reacting? The scripture doesn’t say directly but what about the reaction of the Pharisees, they thought that Jesus might rebuke the disciples for what was going on if they brought it to his attention. Now if Jesus had been playing to the crowd, getting pumped up and excited by all the praise and attention he was getting the Pharisees would not have approached him. Apparently Jesus was taking it all in stride and his reaction was so calm that the Pharisees were not sure if he approved or even if he had realized what was going on so they brought it to his attention.

Jesus told them that it was appropriate and that if the crowds stopped it was no big deal, the very rocks would cry out in praise for Jesus Christ. Now if you or I said that it would be extremely arrogant and prideful but apparently Jesus said it without undue pride and without being arrogant, it was just a fact and that fact did not alter who Jesus was or what he was doing by one little bit.

A little later that crowd had a very different reaction to Jesus

Luke 23:8–23 NASB95

Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently. And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other. Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. “No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. “Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner. But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.

Here Jesus is on trial for his life. He has already been arrested and abused by the Sanhedrin and now he is being questioned by a man who holds the power of life and death in his hands and how does Jesus react. He doesn’t. He won’t even answer questions, he just waits calmly through the process. The crowd is called on to say whom they would have released Jesus or Barabbas. It is in fact a set up, Pilate presented Jesus whom he wanted to let go and the worst criminal he could find so that the people would choose to let Jesus go but the people screamed out free Barabbas and crucify Jesus. Probably some of the same people who had recently praised Jesus now called for his death.

How did Jesus react, he didn’t. With so many things going badly for him, so many people out to get him, how did he remain calm. How could Jesus accept the praise of the crowd one minute and the hatred of the crowd the next minute without being swayed either time. What is it that allowed Jesus to face more praise than you or I will ever know without letting it go to his head and more hatred and pure meanness than you or I could even imagine without letting it get him down. How did he maintain his cool and keep his course with all of that going on?

Would you like to know how he did it? Would you like to have that power yourself? What if you could choose your own path and remain calm no matter how big the storms in your life became, what if you didn’t have to be pulled this way and that way by the fickle whims of the crowd, what if you could find a way to walk right through all of the things that are trying to pull you forward and backwards or left and right without being pulled off course? What if you could steer a path through life that was not chosen by your circumstances, not directed by the whims of the crowd. What if the posts on social media didn’t really affect your life and your direction, what you didn’t have to fear what others thought about you, or about your path in life, what if you could be strong enough to continue straight down the path of life toward a worthy goal without being distracted, without being diverted and without being swayed by everyone else? You can!

Jesus did it! So what did he do different. What allowed Jesus to do what we struggle so hard to accomplish. Why could he be at peace whether he was on top of the heap or facing death? The things that happened to Jesus were not always what we would consider to be good things, I have never been beaten and crucified but it doesn’t sound like a good time to me.

Jesus had something we don’t usually have. Of course Jesus is part of the trinity and we are not but that’s not what I am talking about. Jesus had something that we could have, in fact we are told we should have it. Paul talked about it when he mentioned athletic events. He said that each athlete brings his body into submission, He exercises and eats right and trains so that he can win the race. Paul himself demonstrated this quality in his life, Paul was single minded in his manner and wholly commited to his ministry. James said that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways and should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

So what does that mean for us. We have thousands of ropes tied to us pulling us in different directions. What is expected from us by our parents, our friends, our church, society, government, our jobs, our families and all kinds of other demands on our time, on our actions and even on how we think. So what do you do? What did Jesus do?

Jesus knew exactly why he was there, what he wanted to accomplish and what it would take to accomplish it. He had made his peace with it. In other words Jesus had decided what he would do and what was most important to him before anyone in the crowed ever called out his name and praised who he was. Since he had already made up his mind when the crowd praised him it was nice but it didn’t change who he was or what he had decided. He could enjoy the praise of the crowd without being changed by it. He could walk his own path without feeling the tug of the crowd and without the pressure of trying to please the crowd because the he wasn’t playing to the audience, He had decided what was important and what He would do about it and he just maintained his course through whatever came his way.

When the crowd condemned him and the Pharisees spit on him and the government punished him He could endure it because he had already decided what to do and how important it was, it was not pleasant, but it was his course and he would not be swayed from it by the love or the hate of the crowds. Jesus was a man with a purpose, a man who knew what that purpose was and so he could endure either praise or punishment calmly and peacefully. He had already made up his mind and those that wanted to pull him off course to make him go their way were disappointed.

What is most important to you. The bible urges us to store up treasures in heaven where we can enjoy them for all eternity. God urges us to put him first so that we can live forever and be made perfect. Its not easy, it wasn’t for Jesus and it sure won’t be for us. There will be many people who try to pull you off course, to make you go there way rather than the path you have decided on, don’t let them. Paul was a man who focused on one thing, building up the church, and he let nothing in his life get in the way of that.

Find your purpose in life, set your course. Figure out what God has designed you and equipped you to do and do it. If you are not sure ask God to help you figure it out, he wants you to know, he wants you to start, he made you that way. Once you find out what your purpose in life is, and I promise you that you have a purpose, follow it to the end. Don’t let any number of ropes pull you away from the course of your life, if you stumble or are pulled out of line get back on it as quickly as possible. It is not always the easy course but it is the most fulfilling and the most satisfying life you could live. It is the life you were made for. Jesus knew his purpose, Paul found his purpose, millions of others have found their purpose and lived lives filled with meaning and full of peace, you can too. All you need to do is find God and fulfill the purpose he made you for. No other life comes close.