Beat Down

Matthew 27:28 “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail king of the Jews!’ they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.” One night in my rebellious youth, I handed my cell phone to my friend Jesse so he could talk to another friend of mine named Joon. Something Joon said upset Jesse. I found out later it was meant as a joke, but Jesse probably had a bit too much to drink and didn’t find it all that funny. He threw the phone against the wall and proceeded to punch me in the face. As I fell to the ground and curled up in a ball, I felt Jesse attack what seemed like every square inch of my body at the same time. But the blows couldn’t compare to the weapon of his words. “You stupid chink motherf___er! I’m gonna f__in’ kill you!” It didn’t matter that we had been downing beers together just minutes before. It didn’t matter that we had playdates together for over a decade. I was the Asian kid. I was the scrawny kid. Whenever anyone had a problem, I bore the brunt of it. These sorts of episodes defined my childhood and my worldview heading into adulthood. I had heard about how Jesus died for me pretty much since the day I was born. When I was young I didn’t feel like he could really understand my pain, but today I feel God reminding me that everything I ever suffered, he also suffered… and so much more. If Jesus were only fully God, that’d be pretty amazing. But it’s because he was also fully man that he was truly able to understand the depths of my pain, my guilt, and my shame. It sure didn’t feel fair to get beat up that day, but if I got what was fair I’d have a lot worse coming to me. Instead, Jesus, who didn’t deserve any of it, took it all for me. And by his stripes I am healed. Lord thank you for lifting all the burden I have to bear. What a lucky man I am to know you and be known by you. I rededicate my life to you today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Attitude of Anticipation

Matthew 24:42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” I had a soccer coach growing up named Jack Lis. His constant screaming left him short a few vocal chords and the permanent wad of tobacco in his cheek made for dark projectiles when he released his expletives. I had never experienced that sort of intensity when I came under his coaching care at the age of 8. One of Coach Lis’ favorite sayings (or shoutings) was “CRUSH YOUR OPPONENT WITH ANTICIPATION!!!” He taught us to keep our feet moving, our eyes scouring, and our minds projecting on where the ball could be headed next. His attitude of anticipation led to many championships. Jesus told us thousands of years ago to be ready for his return. His point was not that he’d come back tomorrow and in fact he stated many times that no one could know the day. His point was that an attitude of anticipation leads to victory on the battlefield. Lord, I love you. I pray that I have an attitude of anticipation today. I pray that I keep my feet moving, my eyes scouring and my mind projecting on where the ball is headed. For the enemy prowls like a roaring lion. Thank you that there is already victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Come, Fall & Beg

Mark 5:22 “Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “my little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” Since my father was diagnosed with cancer last year, I’ve been scouring scriptures for any clues on how I can help my dad. I feel today’s passage provides a very clear blueprint on how to heal your family. The first thing Jairus did was to come into Jesus’ presence. Then he fell at Jesus’ feet to humble himself and lift up his Lord. Then he begged Jesus to come and heal his daughter, and of course, Jesus obliged.

Come… Fall… Beg… It’s that simple. So many times we get that order wrong and just beg first. I remember in quarantine our youngest boy Nate Nate just started throwing a fit from the other room (“I WANT TO TAKE A BATH WITH MAMA!!!!!”) Of course I was concerned, and of course I wanted to sort him out, but because he hadn’t approached his request properly, I knew it was actually bad for him if I granted his wish. It would make him spoiled, teach him bad manners, and ultimately bring him further away from loved ones. If he had just come into the same room, humbled himself and then asked (“apa, can I please have take a bath with mama?”) then of course I’d grant him his request. I want Nate Nate to be happy more than he wants himself to be happy. I want him to have that bath more than he wants to have it. In the same way I know my father in heaven wants to grant me the desires of my heart even more than I want them to be granted. Yet so many times I just beg for outcomes, without taking the time to really come into his presence and humble myself. Lord I align my heart with yours today. I come into your presence and fall at your feet. I worship you God. I know that you’re a loving father who only has the best in store for me. I know the battle has been won, the war has been won, because of what you’ve already done on the cross. In Jesus’ name, Amen.