The Easter Story and Ethics

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“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

–LUKE [22:42]

 

THE EASTER STORY AND ETHICS

Late at night in an ancient Judean garden, a man in his early thirties asked, “Are you sure this is the only way?” It was the third time that evening the young man had returned to the garden, each time with the same request: “Are you sure?” He was met by silence, but the answer was clear. The fullness of his humanity exposed, he was sweating to the point of bleeding. “Not my will but yours,” he reluctantly assented. He knew what lay ahead. Betrayal by his friends and humiliation in front of his community. An agonizing beating that would tear the skin from his back. A trek carrying his cross to a hill. Death by crucifixion. All this he and he alone had to undergo in order to connect humanity with God. In fact, he was creating a flower for humankind called Easter. (From the preface in Jesus & CO.)

“By doing “God’s will” Jesus created Easter.”

Today’s verse reveals the answer to the critical question that had to be answered before Jesus could create the Easter story. A question of “What ought He to do?” In His answer, He puts aside His human desire to avoid the pain that would follow by giving in to “what he ought to do.” He knew the struggle that would follow by agreeing to God’s way. In His humanness, Jesus desired a different way. After much prayer and thought, He gave in to God’s will and marched forward. By doing “God’s will” Jesus created Easter.]

“The fundamental question of Christian ethics is “What ought we to do?”

In our own lives we are often confronted with the question, “What ought we to do?” Certainly in our lives this we will not be confronted with a situation that is as dramatic as Jesus’s in the garden. But in every day we all have to answer the fundamental question of Christian ethics of “What ought we to do?” Sometimes the question arises hourly, perhaps even minute by minute.

The Easter story is one of salvation and freedom, but hidden in Jesus’s struggle in the garden is the very essence and answer of what it takes to be an ethical Christian. While the answer seems simple, follow Gods will, it is hard to always comply. We are often beset by the temptation to walk away or ignore the right path. We may become offended by our neighbor or face a task that will require us to suffer short term pain. But when we model Jesus’s behavior in the garden we reach higher places. We walk the longer road that is shorter. We put out fires with the “living water” and not gasoline.

This Easter, let us all consider the question that Jesus dealt with in the garden, “What ought we to do?”

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

How often do we think about, “What ought we to do?”

What problem arose this day that had to be resolved?

 

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What is Our Road Block?

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“Do you want to be made well?” John 5:6 “Stand up, take your mat and walk”

John 5:8 (NRSV)

 

WHAT IS OUR ROAD BLOCK?

In my coaching business, I often wonder, do they really want to move forward? Do they really want to get a new job, fix their business or change their lives? Many times, I hear, “I had a bad week.” Or I will see a lack of follow through with the assigned goals from the previous week. This is the point where I can either be judgmental or help reframe the individuals vision of how to move forward. Being judgmental fails to recognize that the lethargy in solving their problem is part of the solution. Reframing and changing our behavior expands the solution required to help us move forward.

“The solution to our problems many times is looking at the problem differently and being committed to a different path.”

Many of us get stuck in a rut and can’t seem to make our way out. We skip over, that part of our problem is our habitual behavior.  We keep failing and feel inadequate when we can’t seem to move forward. We judge ourselves in a bad light. We know we should do something different, but can’t seem to rise up on a consistent basis to solve our problems. The solution, isn’t to just promise to ourselves we want to be better. The solution to our problems many times is looking at the problem differently and being committed to a different path. Instead of trying the same old way, try a different way. By doing this we set up a new course that changes the way we solve  problems.

“Jesus says, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.”

In Today’s verse, Jesus approaches a man at a healing pool. The man had been going to the pool for thirty-eight years. For thirty-eight years the man had failed to make it into the pool to be healed. For thirty-eight years he thought his solution was the healing pool. For thirty-eight years, he waited for someone to help him into the pool. For thirty-eight years, no one helped him. Jesus says, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” The man picks up his mat and began to walk. Did Jesus cure him supernaturally or did Jesus give him good advice? Both could be true. What is certainly true, the man recognized the power of Jesus’ word. At the moment of healing he recognized that Jesus was providing a different solution, which didn’t include going to the pool that he had been trying for thirty-eight years.

When we listen to Jesus, perhaps he heals us supernaturally. Or perhaps his life lessons heal us. Both can be true. Sometimes the solution is as simple as asking ourselves, “what would Jesus do?” It may seem trite to say this is all we have to do. It is perhaps too simple. It is an overused platitude. But this question is immensely  valid, “what would Jesus do?’ Part of the value of the Gospels is that they lay out for us the lessons of Jesus. When we are stuck in trying to solve a problem and our method of solving isn’t working. We have to change the method of solving our problems. Many times our solutions don’t happen, because we habitually use the same method to solve our problems. If we want to be healed, we have to change our methods.

Changing our life habits and working with Jesus is our best solution to life’s problems.

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What problems can’t we seem to shake?

Is there a different way to solve our problems?

 

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Jesus the King of Forgiveness

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“Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Matthew [26:28]

 

JESUS THE KING OF THE FORGIVENESS

One of my clients, whom we will call Bill, lost his job and expressed to me his frustration that he felt he once again had let Jesus down. He felt that Jesus had put him in a spot to get the job he lost and in losing it he had failed. His self esteem took a big hit and he wondered why he kept failing Jesus. He had done nothing wrong other than try to help his company, but became a victim of circumstance and was released. Over and over in his mind he wondered, what if I had done this? Perhaps I should have done that. His feeling that he had failed Jesus was the darkest part of his remorse. His sense of failure was complete and deep.

“Jesus is the essence of love.”

He wondered if Jesus would forgive him. He promised to himself he would do better next time. He prayed for a second chance. I reminded him of the covenant he had with Jesus. I reminded him that Jesus is the essence of love. Greater than the love of parent for a child. All these things he knew as a lifelong believer. But this was personal. Alone with his thoughts he couldn’t shake the sense of failure.

We can look no further than Apostle Peter to see this attitude of forgiveness and love that Jesus has for humankind. Peter, after being taught to walk on water with faith, failed. Peter, was usually the voice for the other twelve when they failed to understand the messages of Jesus. In a complete act of failure Peter denied Jesus three times on the fateful night before the crucifixion. Peter had a long history of failure. Jesus held firm in commitment and called Peter, “The rock upon which I will build my church.” As we know, after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, Peter became the leader of the group that carried forward the messages of Jesus.

Bill had called me on a Monday after he found out the bad news and we talked for a long time. He went back and forth between despair and hope. Intellectually he knew Jesus was with him. But emotionally he couldn’t shake the sense of failure. He prayed constantly that day.

The following morning, after a difficult night of sleep, he rose to find a message on his phone. A company wanted to hire him. A job that would pay him more. A job that was better suited for who he was. A job that reminded him that Jesus was with him.

“With Jesus, when we have a repentant heart, we have a life of second chances.”

With Jesus, when we have a repentant heart, we have a life of second chances. A life that unfurls Jesus’ majesty. A life, when approached with Jesus at our center, reveals Jesus’s love and forgiveness. A life of completeness.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

How often during times of stress do we remember the covenant made by Jesus?

What prevents us from accepting the covenant?

How important is prayer and repentance to accepting the covenant?

 

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