Jesus and Health care

April 2010 Newsletter

Below is an adaption from a couple of emails on a small discussion regarding universal health care. I’d like to post this and see what kind of discussion it’ll generate.

Two Ground Rules:

1. Write nicely; don’t be mean.

2. I’m a pastor and therefore solely concerned (at least here, in this discussion) with debating this issue on moral grounds. Stay away from other related issues (i.e.: funding, “flaws” in the system, abuse, etc.)

Is Health Care a Right or a Privilege? -and-

IF Health Care is a right, is government-managed universal health care the moral mandate?

I recently read an extremely one-sided article discussing the (perceived) church’s stance on universal health care. I’ll concede the factual side of the article in a moment and spare you all the hateful ramblings. But, I would like us to consider the ramblings because I believe they highlight an area of biblical omission for some believers. The omission: Christians who oppose universal health care solely because of what it costs are in error and simply adopt the slices of Jesus they find most convenient. I write on this topic primarily out of concern for those who adopt every stance of any political party without first considering the biblical perspective.

I agree with the Left when they charge the Right of occasionally misappropriating Jesus; however, I find it dually hypocritical when they refuse to acknowledge the areas in which they do the same thing.

Republican Christians can no more ignore the poor-loving and compassionate Jesus than can democratic Christians ignore the Bible's clear stance on other social issues (sanctity of life, homosexuality, etc.). We stray from God's intent for our lives when we check our faith at the political door as if it were designed to be one of many factors influencing our decision-making as opposed to the all-encompassing filter through which we see reality. How much it costs or what it will do to my tax rebate is of much lesser (if any at all) consequence. If it is the Right thing to do, do it. For Christians, Right is defined by God--not society or the price tag.

My problem with the mixing of faith and politics is this incessant urge by both sides to drag Jesus into the argument as if He would be marching in a picket line if He were on earth today. Sure, He has a stance: it's plain, clear, and undeniable if we simply get our nose in the Bible. But, the blanket devotion to the party line by people claiming to be followers of Christ is morally irresponsible.

The Bible would much rather someone deny a Christian affiliation than claim that Jesus would deny any welfare or health care to the needy OR that the Bible tolerates a homosexual lifestyle, abortion, etc.

I’ll give Christ the last word:

Matthew 25:34–40 (NLT)

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.³⁶ I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ ³⁷ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?³⁸ Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Let us Out!

March 2010 Newsletter

The Mesaeh house is ready for Spring!

Ask the Lord for rain in the spring, for he makes the storm clouds.

And he will send showers of rains so every field becomes a lush pasture.

--Zechariah 10:1 (NLT)

Like many of you, we have spent enough time “underground” and are now ready to come out and play. While we’ve enjoyed the winter, it’s time to admit cabin fever has set in. We spent the winter cuddling on the couch to watch Star Wars more times that we can count (that was probably more for William and I than Hannah and Elijah), playing board games (we learned William cheats at Hungry Hippos), and using our home for a full-scale Nerf battlefield. But, now the movies, hippos, and dart guns will have to yield to BBQs, spring cleaning, and backyard games with our church family.

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new...”

--Revelation 21:5 (NLT)

When most of us think of Spring, we have thoughts of newness: new flowers, new plants, new birds, new opportunities, etc. While we embrace and enjoy new things, the prayer of the Mesaeh house for Spring and beyond is that we stay the course.

We want to continue the work of raising our boys to be modern-day Knights: men who are chivalrous and loving, honest and uncompromising. With the help of our parents and our church family, we know God will bring this about. William seems convinced he has promising career opportunities as a crime-fighter in a black cape; perhaps we’re on the right track.

We also want to continue contributing to the work of our church. We love you, and we cherish the opportunities you give us to serve Christ. I am eager to see the new opportunities that will arise as the snow melts and the flowers start to bloom.

For the Kingdom,

-bill

Necessary prayer for those working in the local church

Psalm 27:4–6 (NLT)

4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;he will hide me in his sanctuary.He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me.At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,singing and praising the Lord with music.

-Amen

Holy Land Pilgrimage: February 8th – 18th, 2010

Well, the trip is finally over. I could write and talk for days on all that we experienced. For now, the best way I know to summarize what this trip did to me is to say, “Before I came here, I read the Bible in black and white. Now I see it in color.”

This is a quick chronological listing of the places we visited each day of our trip.

Day 1: February 9^th 2010 (Tuesday)

Tel Aviv

Joppa/Joffa (Jonah 1)

· Simon the Tanner’s House (Acts 10)

Day 2: February 10^th, 2010 (Wednesday)

Caesarea Maritima

· Paul’s last days before being sent to Rome (Acts 25)

Aqueduct

Mt. Carmel

· Jezreal Valley

· Valley of Armageddon (Rev 16.16)

· Elijah and the Prophets of Ball (1 Kings 18)

Megiddo

Mt. Tabor

· Site of the Transfiguration (Matt 17, 2 Pet 1)

Checked in at kipputz (hotel in a commune community) on the Sea of Galilee

Day 3: February 11^th, 2010 (Thursday)

Boat ride on Sea of Galilee

· From Genessaret (Matt 14.34) to Capernaum

Site of demon-possessed man/pigs (Luke 8.26, ff)

Capernaum (Matt 4.12)

· Peter’s mother-in-law’s house

· Synagogue of Jesus’ day

Mount of Beatitudes (Matt 5-7)

· Site of sermon on the mount

Chorazin (Matt 11)

Tiberius

Baptism in the Jordan River (Luke 3.21, ff)

Site where Christ reinstated Peter (John 21)

Site of the Multiplication (Jesus feeds 5000; Matthew 14)

Day 4: February 12^th, 2010 (Friday)

Tree Planting

Cana

· Site of the First Miracle (John 2)

Nazareth

· Church of the Annunciation (Luke 1)

· Church of the Synagogue (Luke 4.16, ff)

Bet She’an (“House of Light;” “The Decapolis” in Matt 4.25)

Drove through West Bank toward Jerusalem

Arrived at Jerusalem

· Mt. of Olives

Day 5: February 13^th, 2010 (Saturday)

Mt. of Olives

· Church of the Ascension (Acts 1)

· Pater Nostre (where Jesus taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer; Luke 11)

Dominis Flavit (where Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem)

Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26)

Walked through the Kidron Valley

· Tomb of Absalom (2 Sam 13)

· Tomb of Zecheriah

City of David

Site where Solomon is anointed

· Spring of Gihon

Pool of Silom

On top of Mt. Zion

· High Priest’s palace

· Dungeon where Jesus kept

· Place of Jesus’ late night “trial”

· Where Peter denies Christ (Mk 14)

Bethlehem (In the West Bank)

· Church of the Nativity

· Shepherd’s Field (where the angel announced to the shepherds; Luke 2)

· Shopping in Bethlehem

Day 6: February 14^th, 2010 (Sunday)

Church at St. George’s Episcopal Church

Church of the Holy Sepulcher (where Jesus was crucified and resurrected; John 20)

Shopping in the Old City of Jerusalem

Day 7: February 15^th, 2010 (Monday)

Wailing/Western/Retaining Wall

· Entered through the “Dung Gate”

Mount Moriah

· Temple Mount

· Site where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac (Gen 22)

· Dome of the Rock

Stephen’s Gate/Lion’s Gate (Acts 7)

Pool of Bethesda (John 5)

Via Delarosa

· The Stations of the Cross (the path Jesus took on Good Friday; John 19)

· Ended at Church of Holy Sepulcher (site of crucifixion and resurrection; John 19-20)

Mt. Zion

· Church of St. Anne (mother of Mary)

· The Upper Room (Matt 26, Acts 2)

· Tomb of King David

Israeli Museum

· Scale replica of Jerusalem during the 2^nd Temple Period

· Dead Sea Scrolls

Day 8: February 16^th, 2010 (Tuesday)

Masada

Qumran

Swimming in the Dead Sea

Day 9: February 17^th, 2010 (Wednesday)

Birthplace of John the Baptist

Israeli National Holocaust Museum

Garden Tomb

· We closed the touring portion of our trip with communion at the Garden Tomb

I’m better now

I told you I’d get over my grumpiness. 

We went back to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher today, and I decided to give my Christian Brother (the Greek Orthodox priest) a hug.  It really freaked him out, but he did smile really big afterward.  It made me feel better.

Jesus was right: be nice.

Today, we walked the Via Delarosa (the Way of the Cross).  It was powerful.  Extremely Powerful.  We also went to the Upper Room, where the Last Supper was and where the Spirit came on Pentecost to start the church.  Again, more powerful than I could have anticipated.

Tomorrow, we go to the Dead Sea and Qumran (where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls).  We saw the scrolls today in a museum.

Put up some new pics.  See you all soon!

the grateful pilgrim,
-bill

Religion in Jerusalem Stinks

I’m annoyed, but I’ll get over it.

Herein lies my childish commentary on Religion in the City of Jerusalem: it stinks.

Really, religion anywhere stinks. But, its smell is especially bad in what has potential to be the holiest of all places on earth.

Don’t get me wrong: I am thoroughly enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime experience in the Holy Land. But, I was enjoying it much more when we were in Galilee. There, it was peaceful, green, quiet…a place where one feels he can connect with God. Experiencing both places (Galilee first and now “the city”—Jerusalem) I have an even deeper respect for Jesus’ determination to finish what he started by leaving that paradise and going to this pit (Luke 9.51).

First, the Jews

They are probably the smallest of the problems—at least they are for me. Today, though, one of the Jewish vendors did call me a “liar” and told me to “hit the road, Jack!” because I told him I had a meeting to get to in the Christian Quarter at 11 o’clock. I was being honest, so he must have sensed my complete lack of interest in the junk he was peddling.

I guess we won’t be eating pork chop sandwiches together now. Oh well. Jesus still loves him. I think he’s a jerk, but Jesus loves him.

I am bothered by the Zionist movement—even more so after visiting here. I see myself writing (or ranting, take your pick) on that topic later. (With apologies to my Baptist/dispensational friends, of course.)

For the Jews, I feel more sorrow than anything. They eagerly wait on the Messiah, yet they wait for nothing. Our tour guide (a semi-devout Jew from my perspective) explained to us that Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah because “he was only a man.” I wanted to talk to him about Hebrews 2.17-18 or Paul’s explanation of “ekenosen” (ἐκένωσεν, Phil 2.7), but I doubt that it would do much good.

(1 Cor 1.23, NLT)
“So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.”

The Muslims

The most offensive and repulsing group of people I’ve met. I’m not saying that because we have differing beliefs. People disagree with me every day. I don’t mind: you can be wrong if you want.

I don’t like these people though; they’re mean. I can love them because Jesus tells me to, but I don’t have to like them.

Everything they do is spiteful. The world calls Christianity close-minded while the Muslim world spray paints our buildings, defaces our crosses, and openly and officially (by religious mandate) degrades all “infidels” with personal attacks irrespective of individual morality or basic humanity. I can respect a Jew, Buddhist, or even a Muslim if he’s a respectful man: provides for his family, calls his momma on the phone, and cheers for the Colts. But, we simply don’t see open-minded love coming out of this community.

For example, the Jews have a cemetery on the Mount of Olives to eagerly await the coming Messiah. The Muslims planted their own cemetery mirrored across the Kidron Valley, just outside the eastern gate to Jerusalem. Not because they need the space, but because they think by “defiling” this ground, it will prevent the Messiah from coming back into the city. For that same reason, Muslim rulers in the 7^th Century sealed the Golden Gate shut.

Whatever. Jesus and Chuck Norris can just step over your sealed gate.

Perhaps most offensive is the massive tumor on the city—the Dome of the Rock. Built over the site of the Jewish Temple, it stands as a flagrant middle finger in the face of Jews and Christians. At the risk of sounding immature, I want to say: “We got there first! Go somewhere else.” (Yes, I know the Jews are probably telling us the same thing, but I admitted up front I was immature.)

Oh well. The Bible says the Messiah will come back and split the city in two. Let’s hope it happens over the dome of the rock.

Zechariah 14:4–9 (NLT)
⁴ On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south.⁵ You will flee through this valley... Then the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones with him.⁶ On that day the sources of light will no longer shine,⁷ yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how this could happen…⁹ And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped.

Amen.

The Christians

In all respects, they are the most malignant group in the city. At least in relation to me, which is really all that matters here.

Specifically, I’m talking about the Eastern Orthodox thugs who dominate the Christian Holy sites. They assume ownership of places like the birthplace of Jesus, the site of the crucifixion, and the tomb. This bothers me for several reasons:

1. They’re gaudy.

• How in the world have we moved from the simplicity of a Jewish carpenter dying on a cross to incense, robes, icons, and hanging chandelier lamps?
• It’s disgusting, and I mean that in Christian love of course.

2 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB95)
³ But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

2. They’re mean.

• They yell, shove, and pound on the nearest donation box if you step out of line or break one of their rules when attempting to venerate a site holy to all of Christendom.

John 17:21 (NLT)
²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—
as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.
And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

3. They’re wrong.

• They own the place, and they have the power. Just ask them. They’ll tell you.
  • Well, what about the rest of the Jesus-believing, Bible-reading, bacon-eating world Christ died for?
• How does a hairy guy in black robes outrank me or any of my sisters/brothers in Christ when it comes to worshiping at the Foot of the Cross?
  • He doesn’t.

Philippians 2:2 (NLT)
² Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly
with each other, loving one another,
and working together with one mind and purpose.

1 Timothy 2:8 (NLT)
⁸ In every place of worship, I want men to pray
with holy hands lifted up to God,
free from anger and controversy.

My problem here is a Christian reproduction of the very same religious thinking Jesus came to nuke. It was wrong 2000 years ago, and it’s still wrong today.

Case in Point:

• A Muslim holds the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher because the bickering Christian factions would lock each other out if one gained dominating control.
• Muslim police patrol the very same church to maintain good order and obedience to the schedule amongst Christian brothers.

I think a Christian Alexander the Great would have something to say to those calling themselves Christians yet attempting to rule religiously:

“Change your behavior or change your name.”

OK, I’m done.

In the past, I’ve been critical of the Crusades and the Crusaders’ general lack of Jesus-like decision-making skills. But, being here, walking through the city, seeing the immense disrespect and blasphemy thrown at the Living God makes me reconsider.

I wonder how I’d get caught up in the “holy wars” if I lived during the 11^th or 12^th century. I’d probably end up being a Crusader if Jesus hadn’t already told me it was a bad idea. Something about turning the other cheek…blessed are the peacemakers….

My conclusion? I love Jesus, but I don’t like this city. I can do without it.

By the Grace of God go I,
-bill