The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’” [John 1:29-30 (NLT)]
A red-shouldered hawk soared through the sky, swooped down, and settled in a tree just a few feet from us. After getting a photo, I walked back to a man we’d passed earlier on the boardwalk. His tripod and huge lens told me he was hoping to get some good shots and I let him know a Kodak moment was waiting on the side trail. He followed me back and my husband pointed out the impressive bird perched above him.
Later, we came upon one of the sanctuary’s naturalists who admitted she’d been waiting for someone to come along so she could point out a limpkin. With its dark brown body and white speckles, the bird blended into the underbrush and we never would have seen him without her direction. Then, opening a small jar of pond water she’d collected, she pointed out two dragonfly nymphs swimming around. Walking on, my husband pointed out an anhinga high in the trees and I returned the favor when I spotted a black-crowned night heron across the lake. Seeing the naturalist coming toward us, I waited so I could show her the easily missed bird.
When people come to the bird sanctuary, they come to see the swamp’s flora and fauna. But, if they don’t know where to look, it’s easy to miss the things that make the walk worthwhile. The naturalists often leave signs indicating points of interest and, when the ghost orchid is blooming, they leave a scope focused on the rare flower. Bird lovers share their findings on various bird websites and last week, after such a posting, dozens of birders turned up hoping to catch a glimpse a Hammond’s flycatcher.
John the Baptist was surrounded by a crowd of people who’d come to be baptized and hear him preach. Can you imagine what it was like when John saw Jesus and, pointing to the Lord, identified Him as the Lamb of God? Did all the heads turn and look? John’s job was to prepare the way and point the people to Jesus, the promised Messiah, and he did his job well.
While I’m happy to point out hawks, herons, swamp lilies, alligators and scarlet hibiscus to visitors at the bird sanctuary, I have another more important job that is shared with every Christian. Just as John pointed to the living Christ, we are to point to the risen Christ! But, I’m not sure pointing is enough. Had we just pointed in the hawk’s direction, the photographer might have ignored us and, if the naturalist had merely pointed toward the limpkin, we wouldn’t have seen it. It was only when she told us what to look for and described his location that we saw the bird. It seemed like her jar was filled only with murky swamp water until she showed us the nymphs and explained what they were.
When people come to the bird sanctuary, just knowing there are wood storks, herons, painted buntings, and old growth cypress isn’t the same as being shown those things. With our words, we can point people to Scripture, the church, and Jesus. Better than that, however, is showing people how the words of Scripture apply, what the church means, and how Jesus’ followers live a life of peace, joy, patience, forgiveness, love, compassion and service. It is by living the way we say we believe, by loving and serving, by praying both for and with someone, by seeking and interacting with the lost, by sharing our stories, and by listening to theirs that we truly show people the Lamb of God.
Birders are so enthusiastic that they share their sightings with everyone. Are we that enthusiastic about Christ? Like John, are we witnesses to His light? Do we show the Way?
After his wife complained about the roaches that had invaded their garden and begged him to destroy their underground nest, a Brazilian man poured gasoline into the hole he believed to be the source of the infestation and then tossed in lit matches! Within seconds, a massive explosion destroyed his yard while his home security camera captured the entire thing. “I had no idea that this could happen!” he said. Although the man did destroy the roaches, he destroyed his yard in the process! I’m not sure where he got his bright idea but I would guess that his Smartphone was involved. A quick search with mine told me that pouring gasoline on a roach colony is an effective way to eliminate the pests. Assuming a certain amount of common sense among its readers, however, the site had no warning about the explosive nature of gasoline vapors!
The book of Daniel makes reference to the resurrection of both the wicked and righteous, with the destiny of the one being shame and disgrace and the other being everlasting life. By the time of Jesus, many Jews believed in some sort of eternal life and that it would come by obedience to the Law. Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell of the rich young man who asked Jesus what good deed he must do to have eternal life. He wanted Jesus to check his resume of good works and, if found lacking, to give him a task that would assure his immortality.
In Matthew 25, Jesus uses a long simile to describe the final judgment. As for whether this occurs at the beginning or the end of Christ’s millennial kingdom, is unclear; that it will occur, is not! When it happens, God will separate people the way a shepherd does his goats and sheep.
When living in rural Illinois, I loved walking along the country roads, passing by fields of soy beans and corn, and seeing the horses, cows, goats, and sheep grazing in the fields. Virtue was a common name in the community and I often passed by the Virtue Farm. Thinking Virtue a noble name, I wondered if the Virtue family lived up to its promise of good character and moral excellence.
The story is told of a minister who made this announcement just before passing out the offering plates: “The good news is that God has all of the funds necessary to fund His church’s ministry.” As the congregation started to return their checks and cash to their wallets, the pastor added, “But the bad news is that it’s still in our pockets!”
Devotions of the Heart 