Tag: light

I Am That I Am

Background Passages: Exodus 3:1-14, John 8:48-58; Jeremiah 29:11

While exchanging the propane tank for my grill this week, I passed a slightly pudgy man about my age wearing a t-shirt that read, “I YAM WHAT I YAM!” I was instantly transported back to my childhood and my old friend, Popeye, one of my favorite cartoons. Those grainy black and white cartoons that I watched every Saturday morning on that old console television set entertained me.

“I’m strong to the finish ‘cause I eats me spinach…” I bet most of you are singing the song in your head even as you read this.

It’s amazing to me that the old man’s t-shirt bearing Popeye’s famous catchphrase prompted such a warm and vivid memory. “I YAM WHAT I YAM!”

I recall giggling a bit while sitting a Sunday School class long ago as the teacher taught about Moses and the burning bush. I heard the words of Exodus 3:14 and immediately pictured God with bulging biceps and a corncob pipe declaring to Moses in that graveled, mumbled, Popeye voice “I AM THAT I AM,”

It’s funny how God uses everyday encounters to prompt a deeper study of his word. I came home after reading that t-shirt, pulled out my Bible and looked again at a familiar story you know well, I’m sure.

Moses’ abrupt and harrowing escape from Egypt took him as far from Pharaoh as he could reasonably get. The journey of about 300 miles brought him to Midian, a semi-arid region across the Sinai Peninsula on the far side of what we know today as the Gulf of Aqaba.

After marrying into a priestly family, Moses settled into the life of a shepherd. While tending the flock on the side of Mount Horeb, Moses caught a glimpse of a fire in the nearby brush. Instantly wary of any kind of brush fire, Moses approached only to see that the bush was aflame, but it was not being burned.

God called to Moses from within the fiery bush, warning him to draw no closer and remove his sandals for he was standing on holy ground.

“Then, God said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’”

Frightened beyond understanding, Moses trembled and turned away from the bush, fearful of catching a glimpse of God, because to do so in the Hebrew culture of the day was to invite death. God continued to speak. In the course of what had to be an unnerving conversation, God called Moses to be his ambassador to Egypt. To demand that Pharaoh release the Hebrew people from slavery and let them return to the Promised Land.

Moses argued against his assignment. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

When God countered with the promise of his presence. Moses tossed in a new objection.

“Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I tell them?”

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM THAT I AM.’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites; ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:11-14)

The burning bush always intrigued me less than the cryptic response from God when Moses asked for greater clarity.

“I AM WHO I AM…Tell them ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Up to that point in scripture and following, God’s name had been a description. The God of our Fathers. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even the names the Hebrew people used for God were descriptive. Elohim would be the “God of creation.” El Shaddai, “the powerful one who provides blessing and fruitfulness.”

Yet, when Moses asked his name, biblical scholars say God chose “ehyeh asher ehyeh”… I AM THAT I AM. The best meaning, according to some Hebrew scholars, suggests self-existence…having no beginning, no end. The phrase implies eternality and immutability…forever unchanged and unchanging. It is a phrase that speaks to God’s very nature. A footnote in my New International Version of the Old Testament translates the phrase, I will be that I will be.

That phrase alone, though doesn’t convey the simple complexity of I AM. I AM expresses an existence unto itself. He simply IS. A holy being beyond what our finite mind can fully grasp or understand.

As Christians, we strive to learn more about him through his word and the revealed presence of Jesus Christ. As great as that is, as long as we’re hear on earth, what we understand will always be infinitely less than who he really is. God, the I AM THAT I AM, then, is a term given for our practical benefit, but not for our ability to fully comprehend.”

One explanation I read in my study said the Hebrew name of God in scripture could be translated as he who becomes or the becoming one. When God needed to reassure Moses and all of Israel that he would become what they needed him to be, he used the phrase “I AM THAT I AM” to reveal to Moses a promise and a pledge found in his very name.

According to this thought, God said, “I can become whatever you need me to become.” So, as the Hebrew people cried out day and night for a deliverer. God told Moses “I will do that. I will become what you need whenever you need me. I will be your deliverer.”

As I think about how God worked in the lives of his people throughout the Old Testament, it’s a true statement. He was everything his people needed just when they needed him most.

To Job…A Redeemer (Job 19:25)

To David…The Rock of My Salvation (2 Samuel 22:47) and My Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)

To the writer of Proverbs…A Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10)

To Isaiah…A Sanctuary and The Everlasting Father (Isaiah 8:14 and 9:6)

To Ezekiel…The Lord Who Is Always There (Ezekiel 48:35)

To Jeremiah…The Lord Who Is Righteous (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

He is all of these and so much more even as we live and speak his name today. I AM speaks clearly to the eternal and unchanging nature of God. What he was to these leaders among the Hebrew people, he remains also to us today. He is the I AM who was and has been ever the same.

The strength of the I AM statement translates equally well into the New Testament and the life of Jesus Christ. The very words of Jesus echo the words of his father in heaven and since Jesus tells us, “I and the father are one,” when Jesus tells us “I am,” it harkens back to the words of God to Moses.

In John 8:48-58, Jesus spoke to the religious leaders of his day who accused him of being demon-possessed.

“Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

Jesus responded by telling them they did not truly know God even though they claimed to be his people. That he came to bring glory to God and life to those who would trust in him and obey his word. Then, he invoked the name of Abraham whom they claimed as the father of their faith.

“Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

Jesus answered them, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM!”

Can’t you hear it? Just as those words surely echoed from the voice of God through a burning bush, when Jesus declared himself the I AM, it had to reverberate with the same power in the hearts of all who heard. In that I AM statement, Jesus identified himself as the God incarnate.

The stained-glass windows of our church depict the seven I AM statements of Jesus recorded throughout the Book of John. In those I AM statements, Jesus claimed the characteristics of God. To the disciples of the first century, steeped in Jewish tradition, the linkage would be far clearer than it is to us today.

Jesus said, “I AM…

“…the bread of life.” God Incarnate, in Jesus, miraculously fed those who were physically hunger. As the bread of life, he is our provision, but not just for the physical things we need to survive, but for the spiritual sustenance that satisfies our deeper longing for a relationship with the God who loves us enough to die for our sin. Those who trust in Jesus have bread that leads to life eternal.

“…the light of the world.” Our world is darkened by sin. It casts its shadow over all of us. In contrast to that darkness, Jesus is the light that prevents darkness from controlling our lives. His light guides down the path he wants us to walk and illuminates his will and direction for our lives.

“…the door (shepherd’s gate).” In Jesus’ day, a shepherd would end his day by gathering his flock into a rock enclosure for the evening, positioning himself at the entrance so they could not wander. Ever vigilant so nothing could threaten them. He was their protector and their salvation. Jesus guards us as a shepherd guards his flock. He offers salvation and protection to all who trust in him.

“…the good shepherd.” Shepherds hired by the owner of a flock of sheep might run at the first sight of danger, leaving the flock defenseless against the threat. Jesus is the good shepherd. The one who stands his ground, willing to sacrifice himself to protect his sheep. He is our salvation.

“…the resurrection and life.” His death and resurrection are the keys to our victory over death and our hope for eternal life. The ultimate statement of biblical hope…that which is not wishful thinking, but a confidence in the truth of Christ. When we accept that Jesus conquered death on our behalf, death no longer has a grip on us. We are free of its sting. Life eternal awaits.

“…the way, the truth and the life.” It has become politically correct to think there are multiple paths to heaven. Jesus declared clearly that no one come to the father except through him (Jesus). He is the path that leads to God’s grace. Obedience and good works are simply not enough. His word is always true and never falters or misleads. He is the source of life abundant to all who believe.

“…the true vine.” He is the sustaining power of our lives. He is our spiritual nourishment. We are to use the nourishment he provides to bear fruit, to produce in us and others a life reflective of God’s grace. As the true vine, he is the reason and power behind our ability to bear the fruit as we do his good work.

So, here’s the thing. The writer of Hebrews later proclaims that God is “the same yesterday, today and forever.” The I AM of the Old Testament is the same I AM of the New Testament. Jesus is the self-existent, eternal, unchanging I AM who died on a cross a sacrifice for the sins of the world and resurrected to live in spirit with us to this day…becoming exactly what we need right when we need him most.

What do you need the I AM to be in your life right now? Provider? Comforter? Fortress? Shepherd? Rock? Light? Salvation? Whatever it is, he is ready to bless us with the full measure of his grace. When we give ourselves completely to the I AM, he promises his presence. He promises to be what we need him to be as he molds us into what he needs us to be.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

It’s a promise you and I can claim. It’s right there in his name.

Distinctive Living

Background Passages: Matthew 5:13-16, Romans 12:2, Galatians 5:22-23

It’s still one of the most impressive devotionals I ever heard. Standing before the deacons at our regular monthly meeting, Dan Cain began speaking, without reading, without notes. Words he not only memorized but internalized.

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him and he began to teach them…” (Matthew 5:1)

What followed was beautiful recitation of the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew. Word for word. As if we were sitting on the hillside, hearing our Lord speak.

That’s the way to read and hear scripture. Not in the dull monotone of the mind, without life or feeling, but as if you were present in the moment, hearing the words…just as the disciples heard them. That’s when the words jump off the page with meaning that changes everything.

I read that passage of scripture again this week. When I did, I heard those words in the voice of Jesus…who suddenly sounded remarkably similar to Dan Cain’s Texas twang.

Let’s take a look at one thought from Jesus’ greatest sermon. I find it as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago.

_____

During the first year of his ministry, Jesus moved from village to village in Galilee teaching in the synagogues and preaching wherever he found an audience to listen. We don’t know a lot about the content of those early teachings except Jesus seemed to pick up where John the Baptist left off. The gospel writer tells us in Matthew 4:17…

“From that time on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

At some point in this time frame, he called his first disciples, taking them with him as he taught and healed. So popular were his teachings and so miraculous his healing that large crowds began to follow wherever he went. The people came, not just from Galilee, but from Jerusalem, Judea and the land east of the Jordan River to hear his voice.

At one point, Luke tells us that Jesus drew criticism from the Pharisees for healing a man with a deformed hand. After that rather heated debate, Jesus left Capernaum and went up the hillside to pray. The following morning as he and his closest disciples walked back toward the town, they encountered a large crowd eager to hear his message. Desperate to be healed.

Jesus found a spot on the hill and began to preach.

Taken as a whole, the Sermon on the Mount is the nearest thing to a manifesto that Jesus ever shared. He described what he wanted his followers to be and do. It is an explanation of kingdom living at its best. Writer John Stott said the teachings within this sermon “describe what human life and human community look like when they come under the gracious rule of God.

“And what do they look like? Different! Jesus emphasized that his true followers, the citizens of God’s kingdom, were to be entirely different from others.”

The Sermon on the Mount then is a call to be distinctive, drawing a constant contrast between the life lived by those of the Word and the life lived by those of the world. Jesus simply said,

“…do not be like them…” (Matthew 6:8)

You hear a similar word of caution from God to the Israelites in Leviticus 18:3 as he spoke about the pagan practices of the Egyptians and the Canaanites.

“You must not do as they do.”

An echo of the idea reverberated in Paul’s admonition to the church in Rome.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2)

God calls us to live differently than those who do not know him. To relate to one another differently than those who don’t know him. To testify by the way we live to the transformative power of a life committed to Christ.

A pastor said recently that God’s church once existed as the heart and soul of every community. The church and its people defined the culture of the community. The pastor lamented that God’s church today no longer serves as the driver of our culture. Instead, it surrendered its responsibility as the conscience of the community and found itself pushed to the periphery. Its influence marginal at best.

Decades ago, someone once asked Methodist missionary and author E. Stanley Jones to name the biggest problem of the church. His answer short and to the point. “Irrelevance,” he said. “Three-fourths of the opposition to the church stems from disappointment. We promise to make men different, but the promise goes largely unfulfilled.”

Some 50 years later, the pandemic dealt another blow to the church’s relevance. Before we blame the church as an institution, we need to remember that we are the church. You and I, as individuals, are the church. We must ask ourselves the tough question. Is the church less relevant because its people are no longer different enough from the world around us? I suspect there is more truth to that than any of us would care to admit.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount speaks to kingdom living. About living the life God calls us to live. Jesus expects us to have a profound influence on the culture of the world. Yet, we have become less different, less distinctive.

Jesus spoke words to us that still echo off the waters of the Sea of Galilee. These words tell us what we ought to be.

“You are the salt of the earth! But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

Jesus finds truth in the simplicity of ordinary living. He offers no cryptic parable that demands explanation. If you’re sitting with Jesus on the hillside in the first century, you get it. It’s just as clear today.

Salt flavors and preserves. So, what you’re saying Jesus is that we must live in such a way that we don’t leave a bitter taste in someone’s mouth. We are to preserve in our culture that which is holy and sacred and pure and right so that it still sustains those who will partake of it. When we lose our saltiness, our testimony and witness fade. Our lifestyle begins to look the same as our unchurched neighbors. Our influence in the community gets trampled underfoot and lost to society.

If you’re sitting with Jesus on the hillside in the first century, you get it. Another easily understood illustration that made as much sense to a Galilean as it does to a Texan. Light serves as a beacon to the lost, drawing them to safety. Light makes clear the path of righteous living that seeks to serve rather than condemn.

To be salt and light is the calling, but they are not the purpose. Allow me to paraphrase:

“Let your salt flavor all of life with the sweet taste of God’s love and your light illuminate his teachings…so that…they, the world beyond the walls of the church, will see the difference in the way you live and embrace and exalt the God of salvation who is our Father in heaven.”

That’s a huge “so that.” We live the life God calls us to live every day, not so we can stand on the street corner and express openly our gratitude that we are “not like other men.” A holier than thou attitude that drives a wedge between the church and those we are called to serve.

We live the life God called us to live so what we say and do points the lost to Jesus. For when we flavor life with the sweet taste of his love and the clear light of his goodness and grace…when we are truly different…all humanity will be drawn to him.

What does that look like?

Being salt and light is the byproduct of kingdom living. Paul described it to the Galatian church.

“…the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Such traits are rare and precious commodities in our world today. When Christians decide to be salt and light, to demonstrate love, peace, patience…the world feels our presence. When we demonstration kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, the world pays closer attention to what we say and do. That distinctiveness makes a difference. The church, our faith, becomes relevant again.

How do we get there?

Those glow-in-the-dark toys only glow in the dark when they are held next to the light for an extended period. We get to the point of distinctiveness when we stay close to the Light of the World. Spending time in his word and having those deep, rich, prayerful conversations with the one who takes joy in hearing from us. We get there by making a conscious effort to be different.

Our faith cannot be timid nor secret. We cannot hide our light beneath a bowl or bushel. The light must shine. Let us work to make our faith both vocal and visible. Only then will the church find its place again in the center of the community.

God calls us to influence the world. Imagine what human life and human community look like when they come under the gracious rule of God led by those who are both salt and light. It’s time to make a difference. That’s what being salt and light is all about.