Where did this man get these things?

Mark 6:2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?

Reading through Mark this morning and I had this thought? If you don't believe Jesus is the Messiah, God with us, then where do you think He came from? Apparently, the people in his hometown had the same question. When Jesus began to reveal himself they could not figure out where this power and wisdom came from. Jesus did not come from a place of earthly power and did not display nature power or wisdom. He sprang on to the scene from a backwater and came with a supernatural power and message. If He is not from God how would you explain Him? I am convinced that if someone will seriously consider the person of Jesus, then Jesus will reveal himself in power to them.

I read a Ricky Gervais' (an atheist comedian) quote where he said that Christians just want other to consider Jesus unique among thousands of other gods, and of course his point was that belief in any god was ridiculous. But that is exactly what the Bible proposes we do with Jesus, namely compare Him to other gods and see that that He is different. That He is real. We don't have to shy away from such challenges. Jesus invites people to consider who He is, but if you start with a closed mind like an atheist who is dismissive before he has considered the evidence or the people in Jesus' hometown who only saw Him as the local boy, then you will stay blind.

As CS Lewis and GK Chesterton suggested, if you who Jesus is, then you have to come to the conclusion that He is either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. Many people in the modern day would add perhaps a legend, but the Biblical and historical evidence is just too compelling to believe that He is just a legend. He must have lived and taught and gathered a following to have have had such an impact within just a few years. So if He is real, then who is He? Where did He come from? I think the primary reason so many people don't want to examine Jesus closely is that if He is who he claims to be then their lives should change in response.

In reading the story of Jesus, He is so compelling that I cannot help but believe. I desire to know Him more, and to be know by Him.  

Love God with Your Mind

Originally written for the Oakland Independent Dec. 2016

Love the Lord your God with all . . . your mind. Matthew 22:37

Who is the smartest man who ever lived?

If you know your Bible, you might say Solomon, because it declares him to be the wisest man ever up to that point. If you think through history, then perhaps Leonardo Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Sir Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, or even Confucius might come to mind. I would argue though that the smartest person ever was none other than Jesus of Nazareth. A man from a small town who never wrote his own teachings down, but whose life and teachings have none the less transformed the world as we know it. In fact, western civilization itself is grounded upon the life and teachings of this young itinerant preacher.

But you say, no fair, Jesus is was not just a man, He was God and therefore had all wisdom, so we cannot put Him in the same category. While that is true, Jesus was also a real human, born as a real hey born, who as a human had to grow in wisdom and strength. Luke 2:52.

He calls us to follow Him and become like Him and one of the ways that we do this is by loving God with all of our minds. Many of the wisest and smartest people in history were specifically motivated by their desire to know God and His world better. Famous mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler said about his own discoveries, "I was merely thinking God's thoughts after him."

Here are some suggestions about how we become more like Jesus and love God with our minds well.

First, read good books, because they help us think about ideas from different perspectives that broaden our lives. Of course, the most read book of history is the Bible, which is actually of compilation of 66 books, so start there. I am constantly reading through the Bible with one plan or another. In it God tells us about Himself, the world, and even ourselves from a perspective that we could never get on our own.

Classic books are another place to find wisdom. They are classics because they had an impact on people that continues. You can find lists of classic books on the internet or at libraries, and many of these books are free in electronic format and from your library. Years ago, I got some lists of classics and have been slowly working my way through them. People like, Austen, Dickens, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Voltaire, Tolkien, Lewis, and many more, have enriched by life by introducing me to other worlds, times and ideas. 

Second and related, is to find wise people and listen to them. Parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors, coaches and community leaders all have a wealth of learning that they can give you. Listen to their stories and ask them about their favorite books. For example, a older pastoral mentor of mine always has book recommendations that end up impacting my life.

Finally,  disciple yourself to learn and study. This means stopping other activities and dedicating time. This is especially true if you are reading classic literature or studying new material that is hard  to understand. Our brains are like muscles and so reading a hard section of the Bible or a Russian author whose style is very different, is like lifting weights for your brain. The more you challenge yourself, the easy it will be, and the rewards will be a healthier mind. 

All truth is God's truth and as Christians we are encouraged to discover the world that God made. In the process, if we let truth found in His Word and His world transform us, we will become more like Jesus, which will make us better humans in all of our endeavors.