Did Jesus Have IBS?

I've been reading a book titled "Organic Church" by Neil Cole. It's a great book full of many great truths.

This morning, I noticed some of Neil's insights swirling around my head. In Chapter 10 of the book, Neil explains how what is often translated in the scriptures (NT) as "felt compassion" literally means "bowels".

I got to thinking about this and recalling my own response to situations throughout life. We Americans tend to refer to the heart as being the seat of emotion, but much of the ancient world, and some of the current world sees other parts of the body - such as the liver, or in this case, the bowels - as the center of their being. In some cultures, the believers refer to Christ living in their liver!

When I was young, if I knew I was in big trouble, or really stressed, or worried, or upset, or even infatuated with a cute little lady - it almost always resulted in butterflies, sour stomach, indigestion and often - a trip to the restroom! I don't think I am alone in this ;-).

Our guts really are a strong part in our response to emotions, are they not? Sure, some would call this IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and explain it medically. Fine - in fact, I think that would be a very biblical way to put it. Biblically, compassion means having IBS because of others!

So Jesus had that same inward pain and discomfort in his guts over the lost sheep of the world, that we have/had when we encounter difficult situations. To me, that's much more intense than "feeling compassion"! I cannot honestly remember the last time that observing or relating to a lost person sent me doubling over or off to the men's room!

Yet, for Jesus, this was and is the usual response to those whom he loves and died for. I know that in me, that is in my self, I don't have possess this level of compassion for people. Naturally, I am concerned about me and my own. However, Jesus lives in me, and I in him. Therefore, as I seek him, he can live his compassionate life in and through me. By God's grace, maybe my bowels - and maybe all of our bowels will be moved with what moves the bowels of Jesus.

Oily Hair and Mountain Dew

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head,running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. - Psalm 133 (ESV)

I am somewhat ashamed to admin that I usually just focus on the first verse of this psalm when I read it, and often it's in quoting it to my sons when they argue with one another! ;-) Lately, however, I've been looking at this in a different context - the context of God's desire for believers to live this way with one another.

I "grew up" in the faith around lots of grumpy, fundamental, fearful and unloving Christians. Unity was always a weird thing to mention because of the associated fear of being "ecumenical" which was a total heresy. Unfortunately, the fear of heresy can lead people to avoid biblical truths that are crucial to the Kingdom of God. Such is the case with unity.

Take a look at the prayer of Jesus here:

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message [That's us!], that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. " - John 17:20-23

There appear to be great consequences to believers having oneness!

What I hadn't really considered from Psalm 133 before is the reference to oil. Oil in the scriptures is usually a picture of the Holy Spirit! So in this context, believers being together in unity is like the Holy Spirit on the head (Jesus), running down to the beard, and even down to the robe. I take that to mean that unity in Christ results in (or is the result of?) a pouring out of the Spirit on the body.

And what of Aaron's Head/Beard? Augustine, when commenting on Psalm 133 says this:

"...As the ointment on the head, which descended to the beard, to Aaron's beard, which descended to the fringe of his garment" Psalm 132:2. What was Aaron? A priest. Who is a priest, except that one Priest, who entered into the Holy of Holies? Who is that priest, save Him, who was at once Victim and Priest? save Him who when he found nothing clean in the world to offer, offered Himself? The ointment is on his head, because Christ is one whole with the Church, but the ointment comes from the head. Our Head is Christ crucified and buried; He rose again, and ascended into heaven; and the Holy Spirit came from the head..."

Now check this out...
What is the "Dew of Hermon"? To understand this, we need to understand some info about Mount Hermon:

• At 9,200 feet above sea level, Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.
• The mountain is actually a cluster of mountains with three distinct summits (that's pretty trinitarian, eh?) , each about the same height. This cluster, the Anti-Lebanon Range, extends for approximately twenty miles in a northeast to southwest direction, running parallel to the Lebanon range on the west.
• Runoff from the snow-covered mountain’s western and southern bases feeds several streams and rivers. These merge to become the Jordan River. Additionally, the runoff facilitates fertile plant life below the snow line, where vineyards and pine, oak, and poplar trees are abundant.
• Mount Hermon is called the "gray-haired mountain," or the "mountain of snow," because of the covering of snow, which is present on it most of the year.

Wooah! The Dew of Hermon is the source of the Jordan River! To an Israelite, the Jordan River is the source of fertility for the entire country. This is a big deal!

I am not saying that Unity is the Jordan River. I think unity represents the idea of "several streams" and rivers that converge to channel the water flowing from the three peaks of Mount Hermon down to the Jordan River! When we understand our place under Christ's headship, we align ourselves to be channels of blessing to the whole world.

When believers live together in unity - the water that runs off the mountain (the three peaks!) becomes the source of life for all that need water. There's some rich significance here. Compare this to scriptures that speak of "living waters" and "deep fountains".

I have to confess, I have much more to think about regarding Psalm 133. Regardless, I am convinced that unity (in Christ) is something that by God's grace we MUST live in.

Thoughts?

Daily Bread: John 14:12-13

"I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
John 14:12-13

I have to admit, I find these verses personally troubling. No doubt, they are true and good, yet I am personally challenged in reading them. Why? Because it would seem to me that as a follower of Jesus, I ought to be seeing myself (and other followers) doing the works Jesus did, and even greater works! All we should have to do after all is ask Jesus in his "name" - which I understand as being "in his will".

So how come I don't see this sort of thing happening? I wrestle with many possible answers. Here are some of the possibilities I tend to mull over.

1. I don't really know Jesus. Scary proposition! I do believe I know him though, and that's what makes these verses so troubling and hard to understand. I do seek Jesus, I do knock, ask, etc. If I don't know him, then there must some personal merit in addition to faith that is required to relate to God through Jesus. That would violate the very message of Jesus and the scriptures as a whole.

2. Perhaps what Jesus considers greater works are not works that we readily see or acknowledge in our personal lives, rather a collective work of his body on earth?

3. Perhaps these "greater works" are yet future (in my life at least)?

4. Perhaps I am not doing greater works because I am not asking "in His name" - that is, according to a relationship with the Father as Jesus had?

5. ????

At the moment, I am most inclined to understand these verses in light of option #4 above. One central theme I see in John is that Jesus was totally dependent on the Father for everything and did nothing by his own personal initiative. For example, John 14:10b says

"...The words I speak to you I do not speak to you on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works."

The works of Jesus then are rooted and sourced in His Father. That means that Jesus would only seek to do what He knew the Father was seeking to do. He knew what His Father was doing because of the kind of relationship He had with His Father - one of total dependence. I believe this truth is core to the Christian Life - that everything is sourced in God! We were created to be totally and continually dependent on God. After all, He is the source of Life! To be disconnected from that source results in death (ie. The Garden of Eden)!

Perhaps my problem is that I am not relating to the Father in the same way, with a will ONLY to do what He's doing? That being the case, if I were doing only what I saw the Father doing, maybe I'd be part of doing greater works?

Lord, please help me understand and experience the truths of these scriptures!

Daily Bread: Psalm 90:14-17 (HCSB)

Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love
so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.

Make us rejoice for as many days as You have humbled us,
for as many years as we have seen adversity.

Let Your work be seen by Your servants,
and Your splendor by their children.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us;
establish for us the work of our hands - establish the work of our hands!
Psalm 90:14-17

I really dig these verses. There are so many cool ideas here. The idea of starting the day my being satisified by God's faithful love. The author rightly sees the relationship between finding satisfaction in God as the basis for being able to live a life of joy and gladness. Our days need to start with worship, then continue with worship throughougt. I don't mean singing per se', but setting the compass of our hearts towards the "true north" of Jesus.

I like how the psalmist goes on to ask God "give us as many good days and experiences as we've had bad days and experiences". It's like "God, we've had a lot of hardship, and we want to see your splendor for as many days as we've seen grief". Who cannot relate to that? I've had an easy life compared to many, yet I've still seen a lot of grief, frustration, etc. It would be fantastic to experience a measure of God that were the same amount - and it WILL be.

Finally, as one who is, and continues to struggle with "Lord, what would you have me to do with my brief life", I love "establish the work of our hands - establish the work of our hands". Man, I just want to do what God has for me - to see Jesus lifted up. I long for God to turn this from an intellectual vision to a vision lived (as I am reading in Richard Showalter's book - see book notes).