Lead-Tipped Whip

There are times the publisher of a dictionary will include a picture alongside the definition for added clarity. Sometimes pictures make all the difference in understanding. Consider describing the color yellow to someone. I’ll bet that no one except a contributor to American Heritage Dictionary describes the color yellow as “one of the psychological primary hues, evoked in the normal observer by radiant energy of wavelength approximately 580 nanometers.” Rather, you would point to a ripe lemon, and say with confidence, “That’s yellow!”

Here is another picture:
Then Pilot had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across his face. (John 19:1-3)

This verse has nothing to do with the color yellow or ripe lemons, and everything to do with being a picture to bring deeper understanding to a certain word, and more specifically a certain behavior I once proudly wielded with considerable skill.

The following is a synopsis of an on-going dialogue I have had with God.

Dave: After dealing with my cynical nature, You promised to address my sarcasm, but aren’t they the same thing?

God: No, they’re not the same thing. The two are often mistaken for each other, but cynicism is different from sarcasm. Sarcastic behavior and talk is what cynics use in an attempt to protect themselves. Remember that you developed a cynical nature in order to insulate yourself from being hurt by people you didn’t trust. Cynicism was the by-product of your intent to not to get hurt. Sarcasm was the means by which you attempted to avoid being hurt. Think about it; what did you do when your self-constructed safe zone was in danger of being violated?
Dave: I would send a warning shot across the proverbial bow. I would say something pretty snotty – something sarcastic to repel the attack – real or perceived. I let everyone know that I possessed a sharp tongue and I was very skilled at using it.


God: In other words, you would launch a pre-emptive strike with sarcasm before being hurt.

Dave: I did.

God: See, you used sarcasm to protect your cynical nature. You also used the laughter you received from your sardonic “wit” as a means to salve your wounded pride. There were times you used sarcasm in the form of satire, calling out an injustice, thinking you were doing something noble. So now I am giving you the picture of Jesus being flogged to draw your attention to the deeper meaning of the word sarcasm. The root meaning of sarcasm is found in the Greek word sarkasmos. It means, “To tear flesh.” Cynics view sarcasm as a necessary, witty, and noble tool. I see it as a vicious weapon designed for maximum carnage with little effort.

Dave: I didn’t want to see that it was as bad as that. I was really only interested in protecting myself. Pretty selfish, huh?

God: Right, and another thing. I want you to continue picturing, in your minds eye, the scene of Jesus being flogged. Now, take your gaze off of Christ and look in the eyes of those in the crowd. Look into the eyes of those who are laughing, and those who are recoiling in horror. Look into the eyes of those beating Him. I want you to see the damage being done to all of them - the very souls of the by-standers and perpetrators of such violence. You really need to see that sarcasm, just like a lead-tipped whip that tears flesh, is an indiscriminate violator. No one escapes being ripped, torn, and damaged in some fashion, and it is a patently false notion that a cynic is protected by sarcastic talk or behavior. Its nature is to tear. Ironically, the cynic winds up wounded also.

Dave: There is nothing good about it, is there?

God: There is absolutely nothing good about it; and just like cynicism, sarcasm has no place in the Kingdom. Oh and by the way, since you brought up the topic, have you noticed that since I have begun healing you from cynicism and teaching you to trust Me more, the sarcasm and its damage are being healed also?

Dave: I have. Thank You!

Friends, after this very difficult and deeply personal lesson, I can now point at a lead-tipped whip and confidently say, “That’s sarcasm! And it does not belong on the lips of God’s children.” I hope you can confidently say that too.

Grace to You.

Dave Paukner

The Inner Net

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” (Matthew 4:19)

Those first disciples left their nets at once and followed Him. That’s pretty amazing considering they left all they knew to follow Jesus into the unknown. That was the first of many accounts of where we see Jesus take the disciples out of their comfort zones.

They were in His presence when He healed on the Sabbath.
They had to have been confused.
They were there when He turned over the moneychanger’s tables in anger.
The disciples were more than likely nervous.
They saw Him talking to the Samaritan woman at the well – alone!
Scripture tells us the disciples were unnerved and shocked.
They were within earshot of His criticisms of the Pharisees.
The word “squirm” comes to mind.
They were on stormy and dangerous seas several times.
They felt outright fear in those boats.
Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.
He was met with protests.
The disciples were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ peaceful surrender of His life to unjust and wicked men.
They scattered, betrayed Him, and went back to their comfort zones!

Jesus is still calling out to His disciples (us) to follow Him. Some are called into some very uncomfortable places. They are called into poor, dangerous countries, into relationships with ungodly neighbors, and some are called to be a voice in a culture that mocks God! Yet there is one place that He invites each of His disciples into - a place that is far more uncomfortable, painful, and possibly more dangerous than any of the places we’ve read about or imagined. It is a place so scary that we often react as many of Jesus’ disciples did.

Many of His disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” (John 6:60)
At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him. (John 6:66)

What is this place that Jesus calls us to follow Him into that causes so many to turn away?

That place is our own story – our inner world.

Jesus invites us deep into our own souls to see what needs to change. His invitation is found in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). Jesus beckons us to follow Him - look into our own lives and assess if we truly need Him, if we mourn our story, if we are humble about our story, and if we really hunger and thirst for a right relationship with God. He asks if our hearts are filled with mercy, purity, and peace. Jesus describes His inner world, and asks if ours matches His. He does not ask this for His benefit; He asks for ours.

It was the inner world of Jesus that compelled those first disciples to leave their nets and follow Him. It was His inner world that caught them – His inner net. It was because of His inner world that the disciples chose to follow Jesus into the depths of their own stories in order to learn about fishing for people. Likewise, I am being shown that if I want to follow Jesus and really learn to fish for people, I need to see that my inner world will never work for the fishing Jesus has called me to do. I need to leave my inner net behind and ask Jesus for a matching net. Per my request, He is rearranging my inner world and giving me a net that matches His. If you ask, He will bless you that way too.

Grace to You.

Dave Paukner

Romantic at Heart

And the One sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making all things new!” (Rev. 21:5a)

Depending on who you are, don’t get your hopes up or get worried that Northwoods Musings is going “chick flick.” It is not. Today’s title does not come from the notion that a romantic is one whose veins flow with Valentine sweets or has a lifetime subscription with Harlequin publishers. Rather, it comes from the true definition of romanticism, which is a longing for things to be the way they ought to be and not the way they are.

I am still in the early phases of a home remodeling project, where the intention is to change the way my home and surrounding woods look. After thirty years, neither house nor woods look anything like they did when this place was new. I have been carefully studying the inside and outside of my home looking for clues in order to get a better idea of what it was like originally. My mind wanders as I imagine the first owners of this house entertaining in the yard, kids running through lawns that are now densely forested woods, and animals grazing in pastures which are now thickets choked with scrubby brush and thorny bushes. I can picture the cows that once drank at a spring on the property - a spring now blocked with thirty years of leaves and other natural debris.

As pleasant as all of the imagining can be for me, it is still only an exercise in looking backward, not forward. And as much as I love my home today, there is something that gnaws at me for this house and property to become much more than it is right now or was thirty years ago. Within me is a crazy tension between being content and the feeling that there is something much better on its way. What’s more, this tension is no longer limited to my house remodeling; it has been manifested in pretty much every area of my life.

Let me explain. Today I am content with God’s blessings, yet my soul longs for something that I can’t quite describe. I’m beginning to understand that what I long for is what God is preparing and has yet to reveal. The world would define someone like me as a hopeless romantic. I know many of you have heard or used that term at one time or another. But I actually would define myself as a hopeful romantic. A hopeless romantic lives with only the longing. A hopeful romantic lives with the promise - and not just any promise. It is a promise made by God himself, the promise that all things will be new.

This tension that I feel between being content and longing for something to be new is not a defect; it is a supernatural by-product of God conforming me into the image of Christ. Deep within the heart of our Lord Jesus is the very same desire for all things to be new – to be the way they ought to be. If that were not true, He would not have followed His promise (above) with these words:

“Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And He also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and Omega – the Beginning and the End.” (Rev. 21:5b-6a, emphasis mine)

It is His Spirit living within me that places, stirs, and excites the desire for the more, better, and new life; and it is His trustworthiness that enables me to wait. I can consider His promises a done deal – all things will be made new! I am also reminded that Jesus is preparing a place for me, and He’s coming back so that I will be with Him. Knowing this, I can enjoy what I have today, yet long to be with Him in that place. When that comes to pass, it will finally be the way it ought to be.

The Apostle Paul found a way through Christ to be content in all things, and the Apostle John prayed, “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!” So just like they were, I am a hopeful romantic at heart. I hope you are too.

Grace to you.

Dave Paukner

Grace to You

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (1Thes. 5:28)

There are so many options and ways to close a letter. The way a letter is ended very much depends on whom the letter is addressed to, as well as the tone and content of the letter. A letter might end with one of the following traditional closings:

Sincerely,
Cordially,
Respectfully,
Truly yours,
Very truly yours,

Or a letter might be ended in a personal or very personal way. Regardless of which closing is ultimately used, I have come to understand that the way a letter is ended reveals much about the author. A carefully chosen closing also emphasizes and underscores all of the thoughts and ideas communicated in the body of the letter.

My awareness of the importance of closing a letter was heightened after studying the letters the Apostle Paul wrote to the early churches. Paul’s final greetings in most of his letters ended similarly to the verse quoted at the top of this musing. One day as I was preparing for a Bible study, the word grace at the end of each of those letters jumped off the pages; the Holy Spirit pierced my mind and heart. I could no longer skim and speed through the end of Paul’s letters as I had done so many times before. The word grace in Paul’s closings came alive and became a window into both Paul’s soul and mine. Paul understood deeply that all the words penned in his writings were made possible only by the amazing grace of God. He knew to his core that the ideas and thoughts in the letters were not his own, and it was with deepest humility, gratitude, and respect for both God and the churches that he wrote and sent the letters. Paul also knew that it was only by God’s grace that the readers would be able to receive what God wanted to teach them - what He wanted to live in each of the reader’s minds and hearts.

It is in that same spirit in which the Apostle Paul ended his letters that I end each of the musings. They each end with a short prayer for grace. It is a very powerful reminder to me that it is only by God’s grace that I continue to share “Northwoods Musings,” and that it is only by God’s grace that the musings can be meaningful to anyone who reads them, myself included.

This week, I pray that God’s grace (unmerited favor) comes alive in all of us in a new and exciting way.

Grace to you and to me too,

Dave Paukner

Perfect Fit

As I write this, my home is looking less and less like Christmas. The outside lights have been unplugged, and the nativity has been packed away. The presents from under the tree have made their way to shelves, dresser drawers, and closets; some gifts might even be going back to the store. In a few short days, all the evidence of the holiday season will be out of sight until next year.

In the process of packing away this recent holiday season, I discovered some “thing” and something about myself. The thing I found was a pair of pants packed away with the tags still on them. It was a present from many years ago - in fact, so many years ago that neither my wife nor I could remember the year or occasion the pants were received. Upon finding this unused “gift” from the past, I had to face the truth that I have left other gifts unused also. Many times over the years I have found shirts and pants in dresser drawers and storage totes, still in their original packaging.

I genuinely enjoyed receiving those gifts, and was equally delighted to unwrap each of them. But not all were put to use. Some, as I have already admitted, were stored away in “time capsule” fashion. Having said that, the uncomfortable question “Why?” comes to mind. The painfully honest answer is that as much as I loved receiving and opening the gifts, I wasn’t too thrilled with some of the gifts themselves – especially if they happened to be clothing. I liked my old wardrobe and rationalized that the new clothing wasn’t my style or that it didn’t fit. The former was mostly true; they weren’t my style. But as to the clothes not fitting, I never really knew - I didn’t even try them on.

In the midst of getting honest about my receiving, opening, and not wearing gifts from friends and family, God reminded me that this applies to His generosity as well. I am realizing that God, in every occasion, is always providing gifts to His children. This realization causes me to look for His gifts and ask the following questions: When I see His gifts, do I receive and open them? If I receive and open them, do I use His gifts, or more to the point, do I wear His gifts? I am compelled to ask this last question because God, through the Apostle Paul, exhorts us to be done with our old wardrobe and put on His new gift.

But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him. (Col. 3:8-10, emphasis mine)

This new nature from God is an amazing gift. We are to receive it, open it, and put it on! If we do, more gifts come. We get renewed. We get to know Him. And as if that wasn’t enough, God teaches and transforms us to become like Him! This new nature that God has given me is not my style and has clashed with everything in my old “wardrobe.” That’s actually a really good thing, considering my former “style.” Better yet, when I put the new nature on, I find it is a perfect fit. You’ll find that too.

Happy New Year and Grace to You.

Dave Paukner

Baby Steps

I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. (Job 1:20a)

At first blush this does not seem to be a verse one would think about at Christmastime, but these are the words that came to mind as I have been meditating on the birth of Jesus. Jesus did in fact come from Mary’s womb naked, and naked in every respect – physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Jesus divested Himself from every divine privilege and attribute He enjoyed in the safe harbor of the Holy Trinity.

Jesus did not put His divine power in His back pocket. He did not hide His abilities beneath a suit, hat and dark framed glasses like “Superman” trying to fit in and seem human. Jesus did not have a futuristic metal alloy skeletal system draped in flesh like the “Terminator” in order blend into humanity. He was fully human (flesh and bone-just like us) and fully God at the same time, but He left that divinity behind – out of reach. Jesus disrobed. He chose to be vulnerable – baby vulnerable in an evil world!

Jesus was no longer self-sufficient; He became physically dependent on His earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, for His well-being. Jesus needed to be fed, clothed, and changed. He chose a life of humility, servitude, and dependency. He was at humanity’s mercy without an escape clause. There were no cheat sheets, short cuts, or trained rescue crews standing by to pull Him out when things became dangerous.

Jesus was ALL IN!

More than just trusting Joseph and Mary, Jesus the Son trusted God the Father. He was obedient to the Father’s plan from start to finish – from baby steps all the way to sitting at the right hand of His Father. He lived dependent on our Heavenly Father for his protection and provision from incarnation - to crucifixion - to resurrection, and in every moment in between. Jesus came naked from the womb and died naked on a cross. He humbled Himself at birth and was humiliated in death. He poured out His life and suffered all of the indignities so we might have more and better life – better than we ever dreamed of.

So it is at Christmas that we ponder this great free gift of a poured out life in Christ. With blessed eyes we see the babe who would become a man acquainted with deepest sorrows, and if we listen closely with blessed ears this Christmas season, we will hear an invitation from Jesus to live the life He lived.

Jesus prayed to the Father:

I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. (John 17:15-18, emphasis mine)

It is a prayer that we live dependent - moment by moment - upon our Heavenly Father for our protection and provision. It is a prayer that we live ALL IN, trusting God just as Jesus did.

I am reminded that when Christ invited me to follow Him, it was an invitation to be “born” into a life that is dependent on God from beginning to end and all points in between. It is a life that starts with baby steps and leads all the way to glory. It is a life empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus has invited you into that very life too.

Merry Christmas and Grace to you.

Dave Paukner

Someone You Should Know

This is the time of year when many media outlets and publications compile a list of celebrity memorials. It is an annual reminder of the who’s who that died in the previous twelve months. The lists are often crowded with persons of fame, fortune, or outrageous behavior. It is a list that I find oddly juxtaposed against the celebration of Christ’s birth - an event of incomprehensible humility. It is in that spirit of humility that I want to tell you about the passing of a friend – a dear friend who would never have made such a list.

Much of Alice Marler’s story was well behind her when I first met her about ten years ago, so I do not profess to know all about her life. That is a privilege left to her husband, children, and in-laws. There are, however, some details that I am uniquely qualified to share with you, and share I will.

God introduced Alice into my story at the tail end of a dark spiritual season in my life. I had not been to church in three years, yet there I was standing outside her Sunday school room dropping off my two youngest children. By “dropping off,” I mean I peeled them off of their mother’s legs, pushed them through the door, and quickly shut the door behind them. Later when the service was over, my two children did not want to leave! I remember Alice laughing and saying, “I love your kids. Oh, and I love you too.” She meant it, and much to my surprise I believed her. It felt safe to be in church. I looked forward to seeing her on Sundays because I could see in her eyes that she was genuinely glad to see my family and I. We weren’t some God-project to her. We were real people, and she had an authentic affection for us. It was an unconditional affection that I hadn’t felt in a church setting in a long, long time! God, through Alice, made it clear that First Church was to be our church home in that new season of our lives.

I am reminded of Alice when I read the following scripture:

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight with each other. (Romans 12:9-10, emphasis mine)

Over the years I watched Alice delight in a whole host of people, even as her health failed. I saw her hold tightly to what is good. Even as she lay in a hospital bed, unable to communicate with her family and friends, I am convinced (because God told me) that she was praying for her family, friends, and the church.

It is a daunting task to write a resume, an even more difficult task to write a tribute. There is much about Alice that I would like you to know, and fitting words and descriptions are lacking. I want people to know that this side of eternity is poorer because she was called home, and not because she was famous, wealthy, or behaved outrageously – she wasn’t and didn’t. I want you to know about her because she was a person who loved well; Alice Marler loved with the love of Christ.

That kind of love made my family and me different. That kind of love will make you different too.

Grace to you.

Dave Paukner