My Abba Father is reminding me in a not so subtle way that in His Kingdom there is abundant joy, as I face the abundance of responsibilities: the people's lives who have been torn to shreds by the work of the enemy through wounding and loss, building a ministry from scratch to carry the Father's love, planning ministry events, overseeing the homeschooling of our children, coordinating those who serve in ministry under me, helping my 13 year old navigate the teen world, options for the replacing the aging cars, needed household repairs and replacement of furniture that we don't have the resources for, continue to see healing from my broken heart from my childhood, managing the growing number of relationships in our personal world, and coordinating a busy schedule of family activities, church activities, and ministry activities. It's enough to get me overwhelmed, to the point where I go what am I doing ministering to others when there is so much in my personal world that seems to need attention. Yet I am continually reminded of Jesus' promise to those who are heavy-laden and in need of rest (Matthew 11) but this place of rest continues to elude me. I am reminded of how this Savior of ours seemed to disregard the serious concerns of the religious and preferred a lifestyle of spontaneity, eating and drinking with sinners, and disrupting the serious business of the church (by turning over money tables in the temple). Somehow, my serious, intense, and deep thinking personality has a disconnect with a Savior who loved to laugh and even made light of a temple tax He was supposed to pay. Jesus in a scene straight out of comedic routine, gives Peter instructions to go down throw his line in the water and reel in the first fish you catch. Oh by the way reach into it's mouth and out of it you will pull a coin to pay for your tax and mine, even though as sons we really are exempt but as to not offend pay the tax (Matthew 17:24-27). This story really is in the Gospels, Jesus was responding to the accusation of the religious that He was not paying the temple tax. The personality of Jesus in this scene is one of playful, light-hearted, and even a little tongue in cheek. What probably the religious of the day considered no laughing matter, He seems to play with them by how He pays the tax. I want to submit to you, because I believe He was walking in the Kingdom of God where joy, laughter, and light-heartedness are common, instead of the serious religious world of His day. In fact in Romans 15:14 we are told of the Kingdom of God, "...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." I remember once hearing, John Sheasby, a Bible teacher of the Grace of God said that true Christian maturity is joy. I am so challenged by this image of a playful, free, and humor-filled Jesus because I have learned to be so serious in my life. The adult world is one of serious issues, challenges, things to be resolved, and figured out. Yet I believe Abba Father is inviting me and you, into a place of even laughing at the things that seem so big in our sight because we have a big God who has answers to the deepest and most difficult problems and sufferings in our world. When I am striving to be responsible (take care of my long to do lists), serious, and trustworthy adult I need to try to hide my inadequacies and lack to try to appear that I can handle it. Yet this playful and light-hearted Father invites me into a place of being small in His awesomely big arms, simply to rely on Him like a child. I am struck by where the instructions of where to pay the temple tax came from and even the whole idea of how to respond to this situation, it came from the Father. So I can just picture the Father drawing Jesus close and laughing about His plan to confound the religious leaders, surprise the disciples, and make a spectacle around Him by paying a temple tax from the catch of the day. When we think about we can carry much weight, like the religious leaders, when we are trying to take on our problems without looking to the God of the universe who has answers. It always seems to bring a perspective change when people are overwhelmed and surprised by what they are going through and I comment that God was totally caught off guard and really is wandering what to do, even though He created the earth, redeemed all of mankind, and raised Jesus from the dead. I can completely relate to how they feel, at times the bugs on the windshield of life are so thick you can't see where you are going and start to lose hope. I am seeing the supernatural power of joy, which is rooted in our relationship with Father through Christ and can penetrate the deepest darkness. The truth is that the deepest darkness is within people's hearts, when hopelessness, loneliness, and the future seems cut off. The Word of God proclaims from Nehemiah 8:10 says, "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” This is in the midst of the people hearing the Law of God and seeing how far they had strayed, under conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit Nehemiah directs them to rejoice because God's forgiveness is greater than their sin. They are in a place of weakness, yet their joy comes from seeing God's goodness on their behalf. Lasting joy is found in our complete forgiveness, redemption, deliverance, and wholeness found in Jesus Christ. God has solved the problems we had no solution for and thus we can light-heartedly rejoice. Since as a child I did not learn to play because I was immersed in the adult world of responsibilities, big problems, suffering, and difficulties Father is inviting me into a place of being child-like and learning to play.
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