The Help



Justinian mosaic, Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

Luke 12:32-48

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

You may know them as The Help, the Butler, the maid, the domestic worker, etc There are several names that we have given to the servant class. Many are demeaning. Even their depiction on film can be comical at best: Mr. French from Family Affair, Alice the Maid from The Brady Bunch, Florence the Maid from The Jeffersons, Mr. Belvedere, Geoffrey the Butler from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. At the end of the series none of them inherited the riches of their employer... except for Benson! Benson Du Bois was a character who started off as a the butler on the parody series Soap and then rose through the ranks up to Lieutenant Governor. That is exactly what Jesus is talking about in today's verses from Luke 12.

 

So you may be looking at the mosaic of the Byzantine emperor Justinian and his entourage and feel conflicted about my choice of image. Sure, the emperor Justinian is flanked "right hand men" and soldiers on his right side (who can be understood as servants), but what about those guys on the left. They are all priests and include a bishop (Maximianus of Ravenna). Aha! But these ministers are the greatest servants. The word "minister" actually means "servant", hence many countries call their public servants ministers. I do not state this to argue for the superiority of ministers, actually I believe that ministry is something that must be engaged in with great humility. Just like government public servants, Christian ministers are called by Christ to serve the citizens of the Kingdom of God. They administer the spread the Gospel. They are caretakers of the Lord's treasure: the poor. They warriors in the spiritual battle against sin. They are custodians of peace and mercy. They are ambassadors of Christ's kingdom to those who are foreign to the Word of God. Well, at least that's what a good one is. Those are the servants that, like the Disciples/Apostles, the Father desires to give the kingdom to. Do not be distracted by the "shiny things" that this world takes as treasure... they can be taken by man or rust. The true treasures that God desires to give his servants is the ministry of caring for his children.

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Christ commands his servants/disciples to gird up their loins... the equivalent of hiking up your pants. If, like the Disciples and Justinian's servants you were wearing a robe it involved taking the bottom of the back of your robe and tucking it in the front belt... in effect making "Hammer pants" and ensuring better movement for work. Christ asks that we as his servants be prepped for service. Not only should we be physically prepared in our clothing but we must be spiritually and mentally equipped to serve his creation. To ensure that we do not slack in our service we are promised a return of the Master. Not only any return, but a return from his wedding. We must be ready to serve his new wife in her kingdom. Wait, who did Jesus get married to? Is this some new Dan Brow novel? No, Jesus' bride is the Church. Christ has called his servants to minister to the needs of the Souls that he loves. When Christ speaks of his return you can take it as the judgment after his Second Coming, the judgment awaiting each individual post death or the moments of judgment, punishment and reward that we receive while we are still living. With each scenario the conclusion is the same: Christ demands a reckoning of our dealings with each other. Are we being good stewards of his mercy. Are we serving love to his Church?



Theodora mosaic, Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?” And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

There is a mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale that pairs with the one of Justinian. It is the mosaic of his bride the Empress Theodora. She too is flanked by servants, assistants and maids of every sort. Yet Theodora, whose name means "gift of God", was not born into the ruling class. She came from humble beginnings and became the most powerful woman in the history of the Roman Empire (remember the Byzantines were a relocated continuance of the Roman Empire). Theodora started off working I the lowest ring of the servant class: she was employed at a brothel. In those days the professions of actress. dancer and prostitute sort of overlapped at time. She would later give up her former career (yet it appears that she maintained some acting) and would capture the heart of Justinian who was the nephew of the sitting emperor. There was a law on the books at the time that prevented royals from marrying actresses and when Justinian came to power he repealed this law and married Theodora. Christ's bride of the Church came from less than desirable origins. Scripture says that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Each and every one of us has our own stories of struggle in sin and shame but Christ embraced us anyway. He took the punishment of the Law on Calvary's cross and took us as his bride. He redeemed us from our shameful past and has given us his empire to rule with him. In 532 A.D. the Nika Riots broke out in response to popular disapproval of Justinian's governmental policies. It is said that things deteriorated so quickly that Justinian was prepared to flee his own kingdom. In that moment Theodora stepped forward and argued that it is better to stay, fight and die an emperor than to flee, saying "royal purple is noblest shroud." Talk about a "Ride or Die chick"! This was enough to inspire Justinian to stay, fight and win back his kingdom against the mobs. She went on to lead municipal reforms in Constantinople and protect religious minorities from oppression. That is the type of bride that Christ is looking for. That is the type of servant that Christ is looking for. The Lord desires Christians that are faithful and wise stewards of his possessions. They are the servants who will not forsake the care of anyone in the kingdom. Those that fight for the poor, preach love of our enemies and possess faith that endures under pressure. These are the servants that He will make ruler over all that he has. These are the servants that have proved themselves trustworthy.

It is said that "Good Help is hard to find." Jesus said "The harvest is ripe but the laborers are few." These statements are true. There are few that are called to minster in the Lord's service and yet even fewer who endure. Yet for those who do there is a great reward for them. Christ will embrace them as his bride, assistants in governing and victors. They will be His Benson. Benson Du Bois started off over few things as a butler but he became ruler over many as the Lieutenant Governor. That is the journey that God wants his servants to make. In return for their journey He will give them the Kingdom.

 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing
- 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Hall of Fame

Mighty Josh, Kadir Nelson

Hebrews 11

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for...

Today I will be pitching a change up. You may have noticed that I did not post on an Epistle last week and that I did not post on an Old Testament or Psalm verse this week. This week I changed things up by presenting two epistles. Yes I will post on something from the Gospels on Sunday (that will probably never change) but this week I wanted focus on the theme of heroism that is evident in both Epistle selections. Discussing Hebrews 11 requires  us to make another change up by reading an actual entire chapter and giving minimal illustrative detail. The last change up is the fact that I will actually be discussing baseball in detail. Like Hebrews 11, baseball is known for its cherished heroes of bygone years. Of all the major professional sports, baseball has the most famous Hall of Fame. Over the years I have heard scores of ministers preach sermons that referred to Hebrews 11 as the Hall of Faith. This chapter's retelling of the acts of the heroes of the Faith is where the world of sports and religion meet up (in this chapter and in Tim Tebow). When you look up the definition of Faith in the dictionary you will usually find the text of Hebrews 11 verse 1... but it is usually from the popular and poetic King James translation: "Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." That is both the textbook definition of Faith and the biblical text definition. Faith is Babe Ruth pointing his bat in the direction that he will hit a home run before it is even pitched. There are many types of Faith depending on the object of that Faith. So what about religious faith? What about faith that's object is God? Well that is the type of faith that Hebrews 11:1 is discussing and the rest of the chapter shows faith in action. Faith is one of those things that you don't fully understand the definition of until you see it acted out. The actions of faith of the ancients in the Hall of Faith are reminiscent of a particular set of heroes in the baseball Hall of Fame. A few years back Major League Baseball took a season to honor the achievements of the Negro Leagues of the early 20th century. Sports is a subset of society at large and when Segregation ruled the land it also called the plays in athletics. Kadir Nelson's paintings documenting Negro League Baseball greats are all put together in a wonderful children's book entitled We Are The Ship. Kadir Nelson is probably this generation's Norman Rockwell and he uses this illustrative skill to depict the trials and joys in the journey of these sportsmen. They played in an era before Jackie Robinson fought to integrate the sport. Likewise the Old Testament heroes acted out their faith long before the time that Christ integrated the worlds of Man and God. It is with that hope in the promise of a new era one day that all of these heroes toiled. It is the hope of the future reward of knowing God fully that we fuel our present day faith.




Hilton Smith, Kadir Nelson

Opening Pitch

...By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith...

Like an opening pitch from Hilton Smith, St. Paul (the assumed writer of Hebrews) starts off his catalogue of the faithful with the opening chapters of Genesis. He explains that we understand that understanding the universe is based upon the principle of faith, being that things that we cannot see and do not fully understand crafted those which we do see and comprehend. This is not a refutation of Science but rather assertion that there is someone working behind the curtain. There is more to life than we understand at the moment. That is always the case in spiritual matters and why a relationship with God is important. This faith centered relationship with Him can be understood as the first act of worship. Faith is an act of worship and is the beginning of how we connect with God. before he was murdered Abel worshiped through sacrifice. Before he was translated into Heaven Enoch-worshiped through a holy life. Before the judgment of the Flood Noah- worshiped in belief and obedience. All of these heroes acted in faith and their faith was accepted as suitable worship to a saving God.

Low And Away, Kadir Nelson

The Battery

...By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones...

Baseball is a peculiar sport in that to play the game one team most willingly and repeatedly throw the ball to the direction of the other team. The foundation of defense in baseball is something called the Battery. The members of the battery are the pitcher and the catcher and their communication and effective cooperation is paramount to the team's success. Faith is based on a community: a team. The community of faith has a similar battery. Before the community of Faith was the Church it was Israel and before there was an Israel there was a couple. It was just Abraham and Sarah. These fore parents of Israel were also the fore parents of faith. Through their obedience and growth with God we see faith enacted. When they finally have their son Isaac and Isaac begets Jacob, and Jacob begets the twelve patriarchs which includes Joseph we see the family of faith. Faith is a family, not necessarily a physical one but a spiritual one. We inherit the spiritual strength and teachings of those that have gone on before us. We stand on each other's shoulders in faith and communication and cooperation enable the whole team to grow.

Slide, Kadir Nelson

Calling Balls And Strikes

...By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned...

When U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts sat through his Senate confirmation hearings he was asked what his job was as a judge. He responded that "My job is to call balls and strikes and not to pitch or bat." In stating this he was referencing the job of an Umpire, the on field judge in a baseball game. The umpire stands between both teams and upholds the laws of baseball. Similarly Moses stood between God and his people Israel upholding the divine Law of the Torah (first five legal books of the Old Testament). God not only chose Moses as giver of the Law, but Moses also sat a a judge overseeing the people's concerns. Everyday Moses heard cases and met out judgment according to God's Law. His caseload was so heavy that his father-in law, Jethro, convinced him to appoint other capable men as judges... like a circuit court system. As Hebrews 11 states, Moses was not only a judge and law giver but he was also the leader of the Israelites in all of their struggles from their emancipation until his death. Moses' actions display a faith that perseveres. It is also faith that exercises judgment. In all it is a faith that lasts because it foresees the endgame. It understands the whole council of God and the progressive direction that the object of our faith, God, is leading us to.


Kansas City Dougout, Kadir Nelson

The Dugout

...By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground...

In the majority of sports the bench is seen as a place of shame. It is viewed as the seat of losers and extra unnecessary players. However a team is only as strong as its bench. In baseball it is shaded and called a Dugout. The offensive structure in baseball only allows for one batter at a time, so the dugout is not the place for forgotten players but a reserve of future leaders and scorers. The Kansas City Monarchs were such a strong franchise in Negro League Baseball because their "bench was so deep." Heroes of faith only last for so long and when they die God raises another one. They are a diverse group but God shows a different aspect of faith in each one. Rahab was a Gentile prostitute who ensured the Israelites conquest of the city of Jericho. Rahab shows faith that redeems the imperfect. Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah were all judges in Israel before a monarchy was installed. David and Samuel were kings, however, like Moses and the judges they overheard cases everyday and made decisions based on the counsel of God. Then Paul goes on to mention the unnamed prophets, soldiers, administrators and everyday women that exercised faith while suffering. Faith saves, faith exercises good judgment and faith empowers long suffering. Faith does all of this to show that true faith endures to the end. Faith goes all nine innings and beyond.

Game Bus, Kadir Nelson

...These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Many of these greats of the Negro League jumped on the team bus and ventured off to another game in a segregated league. The would not go on to enjoy the fruits of their labor on a national, integrated stage like Jackie Robinson, Satchel Page and Willie Mays. But their years of struggle in an unjust system that made a way for the Black, Latin, Japanese and scores of other ethnically diverse players that have played in Major League Baseball since integration. None of the ancient believers in the Hall of Faith enjoy what you and I have. They died before seeing the fulfillment of their faith in God: Jesus the Messiah. Yet it is their great work and enduring faith that encourages us today. They surround us like a great cloud of witnesses from heaven. They watch us as if from a stadium in Heaven and when life presents trials to our faith they implore us to play on. They cheer until we see and opening to steal home and join them in Heaven. If we endure, if we can fight back the tears and remain in the game, then we too will be members in the Hall of Faith.

 

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

-Hebrews 12:1



Keep Your Head Up

The Apotheosis of Washington, Constantino Brumidi

Colossians 3:1-11

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Hey history fans! Remember that time when President George Washington was raised up to the Heavens and exalted as a god? No? Come to think of it I don't remember it either... but next time you are in Washington D.C. take a tour of the Capitol Building and keep your head up. If you do you will see a ceiling mural in the rotunda about the deification of America's first president. Comedy! I doubt that the Italian artist who painted it, Constantino Brumidi, nor any of the members of Congress (past or present) actually believe General Washington to be a god. Brumidi were simply using the artistic theme of the apotheosis. There are scores of paintings where leaders, heroes and rich families are given the apotheosis treatment. It does have a religious background. Both the theological and artistic beginnings of the apotheosis start in Greece as was also practiced by the Romans. Both the Greek and Latin communities had histories of deifying their leaders (like the Egyptians before them). This is literally hero worship. I remember watching Michael Jordan playing Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz back in 1997 while fighting off the flu and thinking that he could probably have started a popular cult the next day. Human beings have always been awed by individuals who stand out in history. The American Founding Fathers were fans of the Greek (and somewhat Roman) notions of democracy and republic. So much so that they built a democratic government that operates as a republic. In recognition of this many artists and architects that honor the Founding Fathers utilize Greek and Roman aesthetic tools. But Greeks, Romans and Americans are not the only cultures that have pondered man's quest for grandeur and immortality. The ancient Hebrews also considered this notion and as a Pharisaic rabbi turned Christian apostle St. Paul allows us to eavesdrop on this dialogue.

Apotheosis of Homer, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Is Christ a case of apotheosis? Was Jesus a hero, philosopher or holyman that was exalted by God into godhood? This notion pops up every now and again. It is called adoptionism (the idea that Christ was adopted by God, at some point, into divinity) and was written off as heresy in the 2nd century. While it is true that Jesus is honored by God by being seated at His right hand (the place of honor), Scripture reveals that He was always there, even in creation. The preexistence of Christ is discussed in the opening chapter of the Gospel of John. Whenever there was, there was also Jesus. So when St. Paul points out Christ being at God's right hand it is not to show Christ's new found exaltation but rather shows confirmation of his authority. His authority confirms the validity and completion of his mission. God's placement of Christ at His right hand signifies approval of Christ's sacrificial atonement for our sins. We as followers of Christ draw strength and encouragement from the fact that our Savior has solidified our safekeeping. Keep your head up and you will see Christ sitting in the seat of power and place of approval from God.

Apotheosis of Hercules, by François Le Moyne

Great News: you're dead! Or at least your old identity is. Your new identity is tied in with Christ's. That must sound like amazing news if you have a bad credit score. So St. Paul argues that because of God's acceptance of Christ's propitiation that our life is intertwined with his. He says in Colossians that our life is hidden with Christ and Christ's appearance. Paul is speaking of our own personal spiritual death. The idea is that our old selves, the identity of the sinner and life outside of Christ, has passed away. If we then have aligned our lives with Christ's life, then we await Christ's glorious return as our new birthday celebration. We will be born into eternal life. That Great Day that Scripture ominously refers to will not be a day to fear judgment but a day of celebration. We as the Church are Christ's bride. Like the traditional Western practice of weddings, we await that new day when we will unite our life with our groom (Christ) and receive a new name. But as we wait for that day we are also being changed. That is where different Christians have different opinions. The biggest division is between the Greek and Latin faction of Christianity. The first large scale division in Christianity (hundreds of years before the Protestant Reformation) was the Great Schism of 1054 between the Eastern and Western sections of the Church (one section preferred Tupac while the other supported Biggie). The division was over a few doctrinal and practical governance matters (that I will discuss in greater detail in a later blog entry) but the differences had been brewing for centuries. The rift left the Church split along cultural lines with the Latin speaking (and thinking) Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Greek speaking (and thinking) Orthodox Church in the East. later on the Western Church would have its own divisions with the Renaissance, but there are still some major theological notions that Protestants still inherited fro their Catholic parents. Specifically it is in the subject of sanctification (the part of salvation where we are made into a new and holy person). The Orthodox Churches rely on their Greek background and call it theosis. Wikipedia describes their thoughts on theosis/sanctification as follows:

Eastern Orthodoxy- Orthodox Christianity teaches the doctrine of theosis, whereby humans take on divine properties. A key scripture supporting this is 2 Peter 1:4. In the 4th century, Athanasius taught that God became Man that Man might become God.^[5] Essentially, Man does not become divine, but in Christ can partake of divine nature. This Church's version of salvation restores God's image in man.^[6] One such theme is release from mortality caused by desires of the world.^[7]

Now notice the thread of similarity shared by Roman Catholicism and its Protestant offshoots. Again this is from Wikipedia:

Roman Catholicism- According to the Catholic Encyclopedia "sanctity"^[11] differs for God, individual, and corporate body. For God, it is God's unique absolute moral perfection. For the individual, it is a close union with God and the resulting moral perfection. It is essentially of God, by a divine gift. For a society, it is the ability to produce and secure holiness in its members, who display a real, not merely nominal, holiness. The Church's holiness is beyond human power, beyond natural power. Sanctity is regulated by established conventional standards.

Anglicanism- Anglicans teach that sanctification is a process of changing to become holy. Richard Hooker, an influential Anglican theologian, argued that sanctification is based on works while justification is only by faith.^[2]

Calvinism- Calvinist and Evangelical theologians interpret sanctification as the process of being made holy only through the merits and justification of Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification cannot be attained by any works based process, but only through the works and power of the divine.^[3] When a man is unregenerate, it is their essence that sins and does evil. But when a man is justified through Christ, it is no longer the man (in his essence) that sins, but the man is acting outside of his character. In other words, the man is not being himself, he is not being true to who he is.^[4]

Lutheranism- Martin Luther, the founder of Lutheranism, taught in his Large Catechism that Sanctification is only caused by the Holy Spirit through the powerful Word of God. The Holy Spirit uses churches to gather Christians together for the teaching and preaching of the Word of God.^[8]

The only wild card in the bigger of the protestant groups are the offshoots from Wesleyanism. Wikipedia states:

Methodism- John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, taught what is known as entire sanctification in the holiness movement churches, such as the Church of the Nazarene, the Salvation Army, or Christian perfection in "mainstream" Methodist denominations, such as the United Methodist Church, the Methodist Church of Great Britain. This is the doctrine that by the power of God's sanctifying grace and attention upon the means of grace may cleanse a Christian of the corrupting influence of original sin in this life. It is explained in depth in the essay, "Entire Sanctification" by Adam Clarke as well as, later, in Articles of Religion in the Book of Discipline of the Methodist Church.^[9] "Initial salvation" is sometimes seen as an initial step of acknowledging God's holiness, with sanctification as, through the grace and power of God, entering into it. A key scripture is Hebrews 12:14: "Follow after...holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord."

The position that is probably the closest to my own thoughts (un-ironically) is the one found in my trusty little copy of The New National Baptist Hymnal (it's red with gold trim, like the color of the cheap red carpet in all authentic Baptist churches) in the Articles of Faith (they are like a Creed for denominations that have A.D.D., don't like reading out loud too much and choose have their headquarters in Nashville).

We believe the Scriptures teach that Sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of his holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means especially the word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer.

Even though there are divers takes on the particulars of how one becomes holy and sanctified, I believe that they all communicate the same encouraging message to the Christians that believe them: Keep your head up because you are above the sins of your past.

Apotheosis of Nelson, Pierre-Nicolas Legrand de Lérant

Theologically sanctification is like an algebra problem. We must solve for X but different theologians say that X is different things. Different Christians look into Scripture and see different formulas of how sanctification spiritually occurs, however, sanctification adds up to the same thing in most scenarios. In the end you are a holier person and have performed good actions. It is the good actions that combine with your faith to testify that the Holy Spirit of God dwells within you. It is this Holy Spirit that pushes you in living a life free of the sins that ensnared you in the past. Though I greatly admire John Wesley (and my grandfather was a Methodist preacher) I probably lean the furthest away from the Wesleyan formulation of sanctification. It is not because I don't believe that there may be those in history who grew to eliminate much of the sin in their life (sure that sounds like it could happen) but rather because I don't believe that it is the norm for most believers. Most believers (true and actual Children of God) struggle with sin on a daily basis. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive toward holiness and complete selfless love, but I fear that the repercussions of being a believer who feels like a total failure for having an angry thought or tapping your toe to a secular tune. Now does that mean that I think that Christians should quit denominations like the Methodists or Church of God and Christ because of their historic ties to the Wesleyan/ Holiness movement? No, never! I personally know of some of the greatest Christian believers and pastors in these groups. Their faith is genuine and more importantly balanced. No matter what our denominational or theological background we must always balance things off with the attitude of Jesus. Jesus was always patient with sinners who were humble and trusting. Humble in their assessment of themselves and trusting in their faith in Jesus. These two factors allow God to work on us daily. Throughout spiritual victories and failures we can keep an upward trajectory if we keep learning and praying. Eventually past sins, practices and proclivities grow more and more distant. St. Paul teaches us in Colossians that as we confess our sins to God, learn what Christian behavior looks like and share with the community of believers our past sinful practices, deceptions and ethnic, cultural, class and societal divisions/predjudices drift away as we all conform to the image of Christ. We elevate in our spiritual journey and leave the old things below us. Keep your head up and forget the things that are below.

The Apotheosis of Washington, amidst the Capitol rotunda

It is no coincidence that the Apotheosis of Washington mural is in the oculus of the rotunda of the Capitol Building. The oculus lets the light in the room and illuminates the building, just like the Founding Fathers illuminated the institution of government by reintroducing the democratic republic to the world. Likewise Christ is the Light that came from above to illuminate the Church... not the building but the people (the Greek and the Latin...and the World). Christ was not an American Founding Father, but he found his Heavenly Father's lost children. As we conclude this entry about Man and his ancient aspirations to be a god, we must consider that true godliness is not pursued trough grandiose actions of heroism but through grave actions of humility. In this type of act that Christ proved himself to be the reverse of an apotheosis: He is the God that came down and became man. In doing so Jesus displays why God is worthy to be praised and honored and why He honors the meek and lowly.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

- Philippians 2:5-8

Toy Collection & Treasure Storage

Jesus Christ set of Matryoshka Nesting Dolls found on Ebay

Luke 12:13-21

Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

I mentioned in an earlier entry that you don't have to be rich to collect art. Their are several different ways to become an art collector on a budget. You can tap into the work of undiscovered artists and art students. You can go to estate sales and snatch up the finds of rich dead people. You can also become involved in one of the new emerging niche art markets before it grows too pricey. One of these new areas is Toy Art. It is more than collecting Beanie Babies in hopes that their value will go through the roof in a decade. Their a several serious, famous, contemporary artists who focus on raising the bar on how toys and collectibles are viewed. There are also scores of artists and craftsmen who sell through sites like Etsy. Many view Japan as the center of this whimsical aesthetic genre. That may be true, but for my toy art viewing I keep it old school and look back to Mother Russia! If you know me... I mean like really, really know me, then there is a slight chance that you may possibly be aware that I am secretly obsessed with Russia. This has been the case my whole life. Hey, I'm a Cold War kid! I was born into an era when the news was saturated with tales of the Soviets and the "frenemy" relationship between Gorbachev and Reagan. In elementary school I was looking through my family's book closet and discovered that my mom had an introduction to Russian textbook from a high school class. I would look at the neat backwards R's and try and teach myself words. I even would bring it to school and covertly stunt with it at the cafeteria (#nerdballerstatus). I would call my grandfather up (who used to teach Russian Literature) and talk about their amazing art. Then in high school I discovered that besides the standard foreign language courses in Spanish and French there were also two satellite TV instructed courses offered in Japanese and Russian... I think that you know which one I picked. Over the years I have consumed the images in various Russian graphics and printmaking books and even Fritz Eichenberg's (a German/American) illustrations for Russian classic writers like Dostoevsky. Even to this day I scour the Internet for stories of Russian billionaires balling out and doing hood-tastic things like parking their Noah's Ark sized yacht outside of New York City and getting the exterior of their BMW X6 covered in leather... yes, I said the exterior. So naturally when I started this blog I noticed when this blog site started getting a few international hits...from Russia! I ran to my wife and exclaimed, "The Russians have finally accepted me as one of their own!" Currently Russians still lead any other international group of visitors to my blog by 100 hits. To any of my Russian readers I say "Привет и спасибо за посещение." Thank you Google translate. In 1890 Vasily Zvyozdochkin created the first Matryoshka dolls. The word matryoshka is similar to the English word "matron" and describes how each toy has a lineage to the one that it was cut out of. Each doll begets another one in the birthing process. It is also referred to as the "Babushka" (meaning grandmother) doll or the "Russian nesting doll." He  received a Bronze medal for their design in Paris and they have been worldwide sellers ever since. To many these "nesting dolls are a symbol of Russia. They are made from one block of wood and cut out of each other. After the exterior is illustrated each doll serves as storage of other dolls (that are one size smaller). Besides the initial excitement of finding another toy inside of your toy with another toy inside of that one (it's the gift that keeps on giving), the charm to the matryoshka to collectors is that these handmade treasures can be personalized to any interests. Besides the normal grandmother looking matryoshkas and the religious matryoshkas, I have discovered Russian president and Soviet premiers matryoshkas, US presidents matryoshkas, British royal family matryoshkas, Beatles matryoshka and Golden Girls matryoshkas... sitting around on the lanai eating cheesecake. The toy art of matryoshka dolls also fits within the same design and functional art category as ornate treasure chests and ornamented jewelry boxes. They are all a way for the owner to store their valuables. It reveals what the owner treasures and protects. Today's parable creates a matryoshka situation of its own. It makes the reader ask one question nested inside another, which is nested inside yet a larger question. What are you are storage device for? What is your treasure? What is your security?

What are you a storage device for? Matryoshka dolls are storage devices for other dolls matryoshka dolls. The more you search the more you find are other dolls. If someone where to search within you what would they find? I mean besides organs, blood undigested beef and maybe a baby (if you're a woman). What if they were to search what was in your heart (metaphorically speaking)? This question comes to mind when reading Jesus' parable in Luke 12:13-21. In this episode Jesus gets a question yelled at him like a heckler at a comedy show. Jesus is asked about inheritance issue. The questioner is one of two brothers engaged in a feud over inheritance. Jesus replies by refusing to be the arbitrator of their grievances. He does, however, warn the brother of a greater potential loss. One that is of greater worth than money and possessions. "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Coveting? Does Jesus suspect that this one brother is desiring more than his fair share of the inheritance? Not necessarily. Coveting is not just about being obsessed with your neighbor's possessions. It is about being obsessed with possessions themselves, even your own. Moses' tenth commandment warns against the envious desire for another's things, but Jesus sees a greater general principle nested within it. Christ sees a danger in materialism. That is the heart of the 10th commandment. Christ sees that this man is a storage container for covetousness. The problem is that the space in his heart is limited and the storage that he uses for earthly goods is slowly emptying out the contents of his soul. His pursuit for financial riches has strained his love for his family and left him spirituality poor. In gaining everything this man has been left with nothing.

What is your treasure? We all have our desires and if we are successful in attaining them then these desires lead to collections. Even though I've always hated baseball my whole life, I still managed to gather a very respectable baseball card collection in my youth. I even owned a Hank Aaron card and a Reggie Smith autograph. Those were the treasures of my youth. I desired them. I sought after them. I collected them. I stored them and showed them off with pride to select friends. Then I lost them all in Hurricane Katrina...or maybe my mom threw them away because they were stored in a grocery bag in my closet. Either way the point is the same: I invested in something that bought me temporary happiness, a few bucks and respect of my youthful peers but in the end it proved to be just another thing that can be taken away. Jesus' parable is about a rich man's treasures and the storage of these possessions. His treasure was more practical. It was the crops that he harvested on his farm. It was literally the fruit of his labor. Even though it was treasure that was rightfully his (like the brother that Jesus is speaking to) he discovered that he is in danger of losing his soul. Jesus ends the story by warning, "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” What does it mean to "be rich toward God." It means being rich of the things of God. But what does that mean? Wealth is measured in the currency of the given market. I can be rich in US dollars but if I move to a Euro member state then suddenly my wealth has decreased because US currency isn't worth as much in that market. Before paper money and coinage, the currency of the time was the barter system. One could barter (or trade) gold or goats (which ever possession you were rich in) to obtain other goods, services or pay off debts. But the barter system only works if your possessions are desirable in that specific market. So the question is: are your treasures valuable to God? Are they enough to settle your debt with Him? Are you saving up baseball cards to barter your way into Heaven? If our treasures are not the spiritual riches of faith, holiness, love and mercy then they are not suitable to God. These spiritual virtues are God's currency. Earlier last week we read Ecclesiastes and listened as King Solomon lamented the vanities of this world. Solomon possessed many things that were understood as valuable: riches, wisdom, land, love affairs, soldiers and accomplishments. Yet in the end these treasures only brought problems... or rather they only revealed Solomon's problems with consumption. All of Solomon's vain collections of gold, power, learning and women were worthless toys when compared to the true riches of God. They were worthless toys that he would leave behind when he died.

What is your security? Charlie Brown's friend Linus carried around a security blanket. No doubt the blanket couldn't stop bullets or even a strong yank from Snoopy, but it filled a need to be warmed and sheltered from fear. Possessions give a false sense of security. How many times have you logged into your mobile banking app to get a sigh of relief? The idea is that these assets will ensure your safety in times of need (be they near or afar). It is important to invest in financial protection but greater than that is our need to invest in eternal assets. Sometimes we can be lead to think that money can even lead to spiritual security. It may be a popular thing to hear religious circles today but it is not new. Martin Luther started the Reformation in response to a travelling preacher John Tetzel. Tetzel was a German Dominican preacher commissioned by the Church as an evangelist/fundraiser. He was sent to towns preaching the sale of indulgences. The concept was that if you gave to the Church's building campaign then you would receive a certificate that ensured that your love ones would get less time suffering in Purgatory. John Tetzel even had a little song/rhyme to go with it, "As soon as money in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory's fire springs." It amounted to a religious get out of jail free card and it enraged Martin Luther into protesting this and other offences. It was so infuriating because it just isn't true. Money can be used to do much good but without a saved soul you are just a sinner who happens to be a benefactor of the Church. Your giving money to God does not lessen your sins or pay for your relative's ransom. Investing in the Kingdom of God is not just about giving to the poor (though that's vitally important) it's not about giving to the church (and yes that's important too). I say that because it can lead to thinking that our problems with money can be solved by money. Like money can be redeemed by giving it to the right places. Now I am not against money. Money is at best neutral. It has its purposes. The problem with money is a problem with its possessor. Money cannot be redeemed but we can. The investment in God's currency does not involve money. It involves investments in your soul. The story that Jesus tells centers around agriculture. Maybe you never thought about it this way but farming is an investment industry. You make a deposit of seeds into the ground and the returns that are yielded are plants/fruit. Notice that actual money is nowhere in this transaction. Money can help (like buying you seeds, tools or fertilizer if they are not given to you freely) but money cannot be deposited in the ground with the expectation of a money tree to grow. Investments (agricultural and otherwise) will only give back what is placed into them. If your desire is to receive a spiritual return then your deposit must be spiritual. Like many others, the rich man had spent much time and effort investing in everything but what counted the most. He did not sew anything spiritually so he did not reap anything spiritually (at least anything good). It was the one true thing that would grant him true security. Upon first glance the rich man seems like a man that one would describe as prudent. He seems to grasp the idea of maintaining inventory and reducing product loss. His desire to expand the business is actually based in bettering his accounting practices. He also obviously has a mastery of his trade. So much so that he has gained a profit... a large profit. But what does it profit a man even if he were to gain the whole world if he loses his own soul? That is why the Lord calls him a "Fool"... but unlike Mr. T, the Lord has no pity on this fool. When God took his own spiritual inventory of the spiritual treasure that the rich man had gathered, He found nothing. His silos were overflowing with grain but his soul was empty. Since the rich man had not settled his account with God he was met with judgment and not mercy.

Even tough this is an entry about toys it could not be more serious. Those collections that we store up reveal a lot about what we have inside of us. It also displays what we lack amongst our spiritual treasures. What are you a storage device for? What is your treasure? What is inside of you? Your inventory of your possessions may reveal that they actually possess you. Christ warned us about the dangers of allegiance to wealth. In personifying the concept of riches as "mammon" he said:

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
-Matthew 6:24

Instead of being possessed by our possessions and we must rather be possessed by God. We must forsake our allegiance to fleeting wealth and become one of God's treasures. When we do this we will discover what the brother who asked for Jesus' help in an inheritance dispute did not understand. Our true treasure doesn't come from our earthly fathers but our Heavenly Father.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
-Matthew 6:19-21