People around the world have heard and debated the story of Adam and Eve. We use it to make jokes, to argue for which sex is greater, to debate the validity of evolution versus creation, and so on and so forth. There is great mystery surrounding the story and great truth within the story. The story is foundational to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Someday, we will have answers to all of our questions.

One thing we do know is that Adam was created first and was placed in the Garden of Eden where he communed with God. And that even though Adam enjoyed this freedom, God still gave him limitations.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:15-17

But Adam could not do it alone (as one of our ladies put it, Adam was running around saying “I can’t find anything!”), so God created woman. It is important to note that we were not designed to go through life alone. God created man and woman to be together.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.” Genesis 2:20-22

Now, when I was a kid, I was thoroughly convinced that women had more ribs than men. Well, this isn’t true. This taking of the rib signifies the connection between man and woman. Also, the rib is one of the bones that surrounds the heart, signifying the deep love that can exist between man and woman. As one of our ladies shared, the rib also signifies that man and woman were to walk beside each other. If God had used a piece of the skull, man would have control over woman. If God had used a piece of the foot, man would walk all over woman. But God used a piece of the side.

Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony and were completely open to God. Remember, God had instructed them not to eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” meaning that they did not have a concept of evil in the world. This will become very important later.

The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 2:25

Nakedness here is not so much about sexuality as it is about innocence. Before they knew about evil, they were like children who are comfortable running through the house (or even into the yard) without a stitch of clothing on. It also means that they were fully exposed to God and felt like they had nothing to hide. Ironically, we are always fully exposed to God, no matter how hard we try to cover up.

But Eden was not as perfect as they thought it was. There was evil present.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” Genesis 3:1

I used to work in a Mom and Pop ice cream shop. Everyday, the owner experimented with new flavors–flavors that had to be sampled. Seriously, we were told to taste everything at the beginning of our shift so we could make good recommendations to customers. I would get asked if I ever got tired of ice cream and I could honestly say no. Sin tastes as good as ice cream. And there is the temptation to taste it everywhere, all the time. It began with an innocent sounding question “Did God really say, you must not eat from any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) The serpent had seen how happy and at peace Adam and Eve were and he just couldn’t resist destroying it.(1)

It is widely accepted that the serpent is Satan. Some questions we had in our study group, though, did Satan take the form of just that serpent, or do all snakes embody Satan? How did Satan get into the Garden of Eden? Did God know he was there? Next week, we will explore some of these qualities of Satan and try to discover some answers.

Back to temptation, even though temptation is around us, being tempted is not sin. We must pray for the strength to resist temptation because we know it will come. And if we ask, God will give us the strength to do so.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phillipians 4:13

Second, Run! Eve could have left when the serpent approached her (I would have!). We can just avoid the situation by removing ourselves physically. Recovering alcoholics don’t usually hang out in bars because there is too much temptation there. Remember Sam Malone of Cheers? It was an important part of the story that he was a recovering alcoholic and had the strength to still serve drinks.

One can argue that Eve didn’t know to run because she didn’t know about evil. She hadn’t yet eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We have the advantage (or is it a disadvantage) of knowing that evil exists and we should watch out for it. But , do all of us have that advantage? I used to work with victims of sexual assault and I met many a girl who did not understand what was happening around her and found herself in an unsafe situation. I spent two years trying to teach young ladies that not everyone is looking out for your best interest and the safest choice is to avoid the situation entirely.

Third, when confronted with something that we know is wrong, stand up and say no.(2) Eve understood this and did tell the serpent that it was wrong for her to eat from that tree.

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” Genesis 3:2-3

Yet, she was convinced to do so anyway.

That brings us to one huge question. Did God know that Adam and Eve would fall? Did he plan for this fall—so he could glorify us through Christ, or did He put them in the garden to see what would happen and then had to go to Plan B.? And, would it have happened eventually anyway? Wouldn’t Satan had just kept trying until he wore Adam and Eve down? Was this even the first time that he had approached one of them? Because Satan knew about a very important loophole in God’s design of man—free will.

Simply put, God gives us the ability to sin. Life would be so much easier if He would just tell us what to do and make us do it. But, then our love for Him would be meaningless. Kind of like when I have to ask my husband to wash the dishes. It’s still a nice thing but it doesn’t win him brownie points if I have to ask him to do it. Moses explained it to the Israelites shortly before they ended their wilderness wanderings this way.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. Deuteronomy 30:19-20a

We work very hard to justify sin—just this once, it won’t hurt anyone, you’re only guilty if you get caught.

As soon as the serpent tempted Eve, she forgot about all the good things God had given her. What about all the other trees in the garden? She was free to eat from any of those. But she focused on the one thing she couldn’t have—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

How do you feel when you focus on the things you don’t have? How often do you crave sweets when you are dieting? How much do you like your old car when your neighbor gets a shiny new one? How satisfied are you with your job when your coworker gets a promotion? And when you dwell on the things you don’t have—you become negative and are tempted to sin to get them—you binge on sweets, you neglect your tithe to increase your car payment, you stab someone in the back to get ahead.(3)

The serpent made it sound like a deal Eve just couldn’t pass up.

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5

In today’s language, we might say “no one will get hurt.” He even continues to say that she will benefit—“you will be like God.” Who wouldn’t want to be like God? So Eve does the next logical thing—she ate the fruit. And because she loved her husband, she gave some to him too.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3:6

Before you blame Adam for blindly following (or not speaking up), remember that he did not have knowledge of evil either. It is important to remember that our sin is toxic to those around us as well. We may think that no one else will get hurt, but they do.(4)

Almost immediately, Adam and Eve felt the consequences of their sin.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Genesis 3:7-10

Once their eyes were open, they knew they had done wrong and they tried to cover up and tried to hide from God—but he found them, and he knew what he had done.

And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Genesis 3:11

This verse is amusing to me. I see God as the parent who knows exactly what you have done but wants to hear you say it anyway. It is possible that my kids will be able to trick me someday, but it is impossible for us to trick God. He knows the dark places of our hearts, and even though he has given us the freedom to choose sin, he also makes it clear that there are circumstances for that choice.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8

And the “fall of man” begins once Adam is discovered.

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:12-13

Immediately, Adam turns on Eve and starts blaming her—the fall of man begins internally. (5) Boldly, he also blames God—“the woman YOU put here with me.” Eve passes the blame onto the serpent. God doesn’t buy into this passing of blame but offers punishment to all of the guilty parties.

So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15

According to this scripture, the serpent used to have legs. He wasn’t created to crawl on his belly—this was a consequence of sin. This punishment would make life more difficult for the serpent as far as getting around but it would also make it more difficult to approach humans to tempt them because it made him in a word, creepy.

Interestingly, some snakes today have vestigial legs—stumps (called spurs) near their tails that have no purpose. If you look at the backbone of a snake (really, who hasn’t?) you will see these two offshoots near the tail. Evolutionists argue that these legs decreased over time because they weren’t being used. Creationists argue that these are evidence of the change God forced upon them.

To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16

Remember, Eve did not have children until after she left the Garden of Eden. So my question is, would childbearing in Eden have been painless or would it have been nonexistent? If Adam and Eve were immortal in Eden, there would have been no need for children. To me, scripture suggests the latter.

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. Genesis 3:20

Think of the ways women were treated harshly in the past (and in some ways in the present) in the US and even today in other countries. This story has often been used for justification for that treatment. Eve continues to receive blame for death entering the world.

But, God reserves harsh punishment for man. Remember, Adam should have known better because he had received the command directly from God, and he had the option to say no when Eve offered him the fruit.

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:17-19

I think of Adam every Spring when I am fighting with the ground. How wonderful would it be you could plant something with the confidence that it and only it would grow.

But even though God hands out curses, he also shows grace.

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:21-24

There are some who argue that God’s promise in Genesis 2:17 would have given him the right to kill Adam and Eve right there.(6) But instead, He allowed his love for Adam and Eve to temper his reaction and He gave them a second chance outside of the garden.

And listen to the compassion in these verses. He clothed them. God knew that leaves were not adequate protection for the harsh elements outside of the garden of Eden. He had every right to throw them out without preparing them, but he didn’t. He equipped them to survive outside of the garden.

He also gives a reason for this punishment. He realized that if Adam and Eve had given into temptation once, they would be likely to do it again. And that temptation would leave them to discover the “tree of life.” God knew that eternal life in a world full of evil would be an eternal punishment, so He had to banish them from the garden to protect them.

But there is a way back.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22

And, through Christ, we are forgiven no matter what. Even if we continue to sin after we are saved, we are still saved—I believe that you can’t lose your salvation. But, to be fully redeemed is to want to do what is right, and God promises us the strength to do so.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and to worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 1 Titus 2:11-14

I believe that God had this plan all along. (My struggle is whether he had planned all along to have to use it or not.) Jesus is in the curse that he gave to the serpent.

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15

The offspring of woman He speaks of here is Jesus. Remember, Jesus was fully human and fully divine. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit. Mary carried him, gave birth to him and raised him. So, the lineage of Jesus traces through Mary all the way back to Eve. Although Satan would strike at Jesus’ heel causing him to suffer and die, Jesus would crush the head of Satan through the victory of the resurrection. And we have a promise that someday, He will do it permanently.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan underneath your feet. Romans 16:20

1 Amber Albee Swenson, Bible Moms (Sisters, Oregon: Trusted Books, VMI Publishers), 2007, p. 14

2 NIV Study Bible, Genesis 3:1-6

3 NIV Study Bible, Genesis 3:1-6

4 NIV Study Bible, Genesis 3:6-7

5 http://www.crivoice.org/gen3.html

6 http://www.crivoice.org/gen3.html

Pearly gates, streets of gold, St. Peter, Clouds, Harps, Wings, The Great Golf Course in the Sky… We are always trying to imagine what heaven will be like. References to heaven are everywhere in our world. All Dogs Go to Heaven, Tears in Heaven, Stairway to heaven (or if you are a Wayne’s World fan, NO Stairway.). You could say we are obsessed, but all in all, we are pretty clueless.

We do have pictures of heaven in the Bible through the visions of prophets and through the teachings of Christ (who did live there after all). But we don’t have the whole picture because we aren’t ready for it.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

One vision was from the great prophet Isaiah. (For more visions, see Revelation 21 & 22, 1 Kings 22:19 and Daniel 7:9-10.) This vision is at the beginning of his calling and we often hear it used to teach of humility before God and Christian service. However, I believe that this vision also illustrates several of the qualities of heaven that we will discuss.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty: the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices, the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6:1-7

Isaiah is considered to be the greatest Old Testament prophet and he is quoted at least 50 times in the New Testament.[1] Isaiah lived in Jerusalem and prophesied for 60 years. His ministry began during the reign of King Uzziah.

King Uzziah reigned over Judah for 52 years. During his reign, Israel turned away from God. He entered the temple to offer incense, which was a job of the priests, and God afflicted him with leprosy which he had until his death. His story is recorded in 2 Chronicles 26.

The first truth about heaven illustrated by this vision is that heaven is God’s home. Isaiah saw him sitting on a throne. This is reiterated throughout scripture, even back to the Exodus.

Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. Deuteronomy 26:15

We also see Jesus return to heaven following the resurrection.

While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Luke 24:51

How do you vision God’s home? We often talk about a “mansion” in heaven, and Jesus speaks of “many rooms”—perhaps this is where that vision that we hold came from.

By the way, the Bible also tells us what God looks like.

His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. Revelation 1:14-15

So, those childhood visions we have of God as a very old man may not be that far off! The white hair symbolizes the wisdom of God, the blazing eyes symbolize judgment, the glowing symbolizes holiness and the rushing waters symbolize power.

Interestingly, this scripture also speaks of other creatures who live in heaven. Stories about the angels are found throughout the Bible. They are seen over and over attending to God and doing God’s work on earth from guarding the entrance to Eden (Genesis 4:24) to announcing the resurrection of Christ (Luke 24:4-6).

When we recognize the power of God, we understand the next concept of heaven—worship.

And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Isaiah 6:3-4

Heaven will be full of praise! And not just controlled Sunday morning type of praise—the doorposts shook! I often joke that if we have a hard time sitting through an hour of church, how will we enjoy heaven. I have only experienced praise at this intensity a few times in my life and it is awesome.

John describes not just the angels but all of heaven praising God.

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Revelation 5:13

The Bible is full of examples of praising God in heaven. After all, when you are in the presence of the almighty, how can you do anything but? Isaiah’s immediate reaction was abject humility. (Isaiah 6:5) When he was in the presence of God, he realized how unworthy he was. I believe that we will all have that moment when we meet our Savior face to face.

Through Isaiah’s humility, we see God’s love and grace. God cleanses Isaiah’s lips and forgives him of his sins. The thought of touching your lips with a burning coal is a painful thought, reminding us that there will be consequences to our sin. But, it is also a healing touch, reminding us that those sins will be forgiven and wiped away forever. We can try to guess what heaven will be like, but the most important thing is that God wants us to be there!

When we become a Christian, we become citizens of heavens. It is our home as well.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20-21

And, even more amazing, is that Jesus has prepared it for us personally.

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3

The question came up in our live Bible study, what about children? The prevailing thought is that children are innocent and will be in heaven. This is partly because no one can conceive of a God so cruel that he would banish children to Hell before they are able to make a decision to follow him. But it is also verified in scripture.

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:2-6

First, this scripture illustrates that we are to become like children before we can enter heaven. It is not just a matter of innocence, but to truly follow Christ, we have to fully put our trust in Him like a little child puts all of their trust in their caretaker. Second, this scripture implies that children are without sin because Jesus has very harsh words for the one who would take that innocence away.

But, at some point (don’t ask me when because I don’t know), we do have to make a choice. As much as God wants us to be in heaven, He is very clear that it is a gift we must accept.

“When the son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left … Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’ … Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” Matthew 25:31-34, 41

I do not like to think of a God who can punish people forever—good people even, people I care about. But God is loving AND just, and justice includes allowing people to live with the consequences of their choices. Now that I’m a mother I can understand this better. If I give my children a limit and they cross it, I have to follow through with the consequences of their behavior—no matter how difficult it may be.

But it is easy to become a sheep. There is nothing we can do here on earth, it is a gift we need to accept.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18

I pray all the time for boldness to share my faith, and I pray all the time for God to grab the heart of my loved ones and draw them into his love. It’s not just to avoid punishment but to experience the full joy of knowing the Lord. Heaven will be full of that joy.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4

This scripture is often heard at funerals, and is a great comfort to many. John uses it to describe the end of the world, which is actually God’s establishment of heaven on earth.

But beyond no tears, heaven will be full of joy! How could it be anything but, because that is where God is. As Christians, we are called to love God with everything that we have. How do you feel when you are in the presence of one you truly love? Do you remember what it was like when you first fell in love? You couldn’t eat, sleep, or feel the ground. I think the joy in heaven will be like that.

You have made known to me the path of life; you will find me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11

To the faithful Christian, heaven is our ultimate treasure.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matthew 13:44

Heaven is more valuable than anything we could possess on earth. As we discusses with the life of Salome, we should strive not for recognition and possessions on earth but for treasure in heaven.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:32-34

So heaven is a great mystery. Although God has given us pieces of information about it, I believe that it is too wonderful for us to imagine. When we make it to heaven, we will finally be reunited with God—like he originally planned. The Bible begins with man in the Garden of Eden, communing with God. Then sin entered the world. Jesus came to redeem us from that sin so that we could return to where we were created to be.

Next week, we will further explore the concept of sin and consequences through the life of Eve.

[1] NIV Life Application Study Bible

Success, in a worldly view, is often described in terms of power, prestige and material items. There is pressure on all of us to live this way. I graduated from a wonderful University and several of my friends have gone on to lead lives by this definition. They have travelled the world, made big names for themselves and seem to have everything they desire. While I wish them happiness, I often read the alumni magazine thinking what have I accomplished?

The pressure to live this way is not limited to the world, however. There is a concept that gained popularity in the 90s called “prosperity theology.” It is the idea that God rewards the faithful with material prosperity. Even biblical figures struggled with this dilemma, which we see through the life of Salome.

Unlike Rachel and Leah, there is no one story about Salome. In order to find her story, we must do a little bit of detective work. And we first discover her through her children. (Don’t worry, we’ll refer back to this scripture in a minute.)

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:21-22

These are 2 of the 12 disciples who were called by Jesus. But He had more than these 12 followers. There was also had a group of women followers who helped out. I had never really thought of it this before, but it makes perfect sense. After all, could 13 men really survive on their own?

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. Luke 8:1-3

We learn who some these other women are when they witness the crucifixion.

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. Matthew 27:55-56

Remember, Zebedee’s sons are James and John who left the fishing boat to follow Jesus. Finally, Salome is identified by name at the most important event of the Bible, the resurrection. Those same three ladies returned to the tomb to prepare the body of Jesus for burial only to find that it was no longer there.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Mark 16:1-7

I learned of an interesting theory when I was preparing this study that Salome may also be Mary’s sister. I had never heard it before, and it is a highly debated theory. But the argument is scripturally based. In the gospel of John, the list of women at the cross is defined yet another way.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:25-27

The debate is over what John meant by “Mary the wife of Clopas.” Is this a description of “his mother’s sister,” or is it another person in the list. If it is read as another person in the list, then some scholars compare the scriptures and deduce that “his mother’s sister” can only mean Salome.

Remember, the disciple whom he loved is John, Salome’s son! If Salome is Mary’s sister, then she is Jesus’ aunt and John is his first cousin. I haven’t decided what I think yet, but this would make several things make sense—their close relationship, James and John’s willingness to follow so easily, and his asking John to care for his mother. Just some food for thought.

Whatever the extended family relationship, it is well accepted that Salome is the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John. And to them, following God was a family affair.(1)

If you read Matthew 4:21-22 in isolation, it seems as if Jesus showed up out of nowhere and James and John picked up and left. This has always seemed hard to swallow for me. (And if you are a fan of Lost, you know that following someone blindly never ends well…)

But when you read this scene in the larger context, you realize that this would not have been the first time they had heard of Jesus, and maybe even not the first time they had met him. Remember, John the Baptist had already been in the area preaching to “prepare the way.” Jesus had also been active in the area before, preaching and recruiting disciples.

In addition, we see that the whole family is faithful. Their father allowed them to leave the family business and even allowed his wife to leave the household to support the ministry physically. This was a huge step of faith for that time. We also read in Luke 8:3, that as a follower of Jesus, Salome supported his ministry financially. And her money would have been the family’s money because she likely wouldn’t have had a means of generating income herself.

This family was faithful to the end. James and John were some of the first disciples called. Salome was there at the crucifixion and at the resurrection, and John continued to preach the gospel into old age.

But, here is another mind-bending thought, if the sons and the mother were all followers of Jesus, who started following him first? The Bible doesn’t say. But did Jesus call the brothers and the Mom followed along or was the Mom already following when he approached them? (Remember the Bible was written and has been preached mainly by men so it is only natural for us to think of men being the first ones called—and I’ll stop there before I cause too much more controversy.)

Either way, you cannot deny that Salome must have had a great impact on the faith of her children. And that is a responsibility that all Christian mothers have. When I was going through a soul searching period a few years ago, I read somewhere that when you are a mother, your children are “your mission field.” I try to live like this every day. It doesn’t matter how much I do for others, if my children aren’t a part of the Kingdom of God, I’ve missed it.

After several months of following Jesus, we see that Salome expected great things for her sons (perhaps she always did) and she began to buy into that worldly idea of success and apply it to the Kingdom of God.(2)

It is not completely out of left field. After all, James and John were part of Jesus’s innermost circle. He even had a specific nickname for them—the “Sons of Thunder.” (And if she is Mary’s sister, they were also family, and we all know that blood is thicker than water.) They, along with Peter, were witnesses to some extraordinary events: the raising of a synagogue leader’s dead daughter (Mark 5:35-37), the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-3), and later, Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46).

On top of this special relationship, she was a faithful contributor of both time and money. She had invested much in His ministry, so, why shouldn’t she ask for more for her sons? That’s exactly what she did.

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” Matthew 20:20-24

Salome wanted that power and prestige that the world so often seeks. The disciples still thought at that time that Jesus was a great conqueror. They were faithful followers but they didn’t quite understand the whole picture and thought that He would establish His kingdom on earth. Jesus was quick to point out that they did not understand. Instead of power, they would receive persecution. James was one of the first disciples to be killed (Acts 12:2). John lived to be old but he was exiled to the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:9).

To their credit, they did say that they were willing to take the cup—but did they understand what they were agreeing to? Just imagine how Salome felt as she witnessed the crucifixion. She had asked that her sons be on his right and left and then she watched the men on his right and left die agonizing deaths.(3)

Interestingly, the idea may not have begun with Salome, but with James and John. In Mark’s account, (Mark 10:35-40) they make the request themselves. Even in Matthew’s account, James and John are present and immediately following the request, Jesus addresses them directly. Older women were respected in the culture and were often allowed to ask questions that others were not. (Such as the persistent widow in Luke 18:2-5.)

When the 10 other disciples heard about this request, they were upset, “indignant” in fact. None of them understood what it meant to be the greatest. To God, being the greatest means to make yourself the least.

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:24-28

It is easy to fall into the trap of seeking status—in the world and even in the church. But God is not impressed by how much you have or control, but by how much you do for his kingdom. He even says to do it in secret.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4

So, you have to give up on the world’s view of success, help others and then not talk about it. That is a really tall order! After I have given and given, I often find myself saying “what’s the point if no one notices.” But God says that He is the only one who needs to notice. (I just have to remind myself of that all the time.)

The Bible is full of God’s promises of rewards, on earth and in heaven. Jesus speaks of the eternal reward as a treasure.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.” Matthew 6:16-18

This is a hard concept to grasp in our world where we are seeking to gain the next big thing. We want instant gratification. Jesus isn’t saying to not prepare for the future, but there is a difference between accumulating wealth and being prepared. He tells us that we should put more effort into preparing for our eternal life than our future life. Sometimes when I’m frustrated I tell myself I am collecting “stars for my crown.”

Jesus also speaks to those, like the disciples and women who followed him, who leave their homes for His ministry.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.” Luke 18:26-30

This verse is especially comforting to me. When you are in the ministry, you do not choose your homeplace, God does. As a result, you have to leave your family. Our closest grandparents are more than an hour away. This can make life difficult at times. But, our children’s lives have been richly blessed with their “adopted” grandmas. And our lives have been blessed by the people we have met and the friends we have made.

This points us back to Salome. She was rewarded richly in life. She followed Jesus on a daily basis, hearing his words first hand. But even better, she was one of the first to learn of the resurrection. (Matthew 16:1-6) Can you imagine that? What a privilege! This privilege is available to us as well.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” Ephesians 3:19-20

That power is there. I think that too often it is fear that holds us back from that power. Stepping out on faith is frightening. Giving up your home is frightening. Speaking out for Jesus is frightening. There is fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, fear of change, even fear of what I call too much goodness.

Thankfully, Salome and her family did not let that fear hold them back. They chose to follow Jesus (literally!) to the end, and lives were changed with their help.

1 Amber Albee Swenson, Bible Moms (Sisters, Oregon: Trusted Books, VMI Publishers), 2007) p. 145

2 Amber Albee Swenson, Bible Moms (Sisters, Oregon: Trusted Books, VMI Publishers), 2007) p. 146

3 Spangler, Ann and Syswerda, Jean E., Women of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan:Zondervan,2007) p. 374

What’s on your list? When we wrote this list in Bible Study, it included patient, kind, loving, faithful, understanding, supportive, even clean!

Now read Galatians 5:22-26.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-26

Did you notice how similar our list is to God’s list? Isn’t it amazing that we humans, as sinful as we are, desire what comes from God? Think of how wonderful our families, and our world, would be if everyone practiced love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

To understand the importance of this list, which we call the “fruits of the spirit,” we need to understand what was going on when they were written down. Galatians was written by Paul. If you are not familiar with Paul’s story, let me encourage you to read Acts 9. Basically, Paul was a very important Jew whose job was to enforce the Jewish law. He met God and was converted to Christianity. He then went on to become one of the first missionaries, travelling the world to establish and encourage new churches. Much of the New Testament is letters that Paul wrote to these new churches.

Galations was a letter he wrote to the church in Galatia, a church that was struggling with legalism (the judging of one’s salvation based on good works). These were Christians who were turning back to Jewish law. These believers were Jews who had accepted that Christ was the Messiah. But when Gentiles started joining the church, they struggled with how to accept them and taught that in addition to believing in Christ, they had to submit to Jewish law. This letter to the Galatians has been described as the “charter of Christian freedom.”[1] Throughout it, you will find Paul describing how to live by the spirit of Christ.

To understand this concept, we must contrast the spirit of Christ with the works of the flesh. In Galations 5:19-21 Paul describes the works of the flesh.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

That’s quite a list isn’t it? The works of the flesh run the gambit from anger to jealousy all the way up to orgies! One of our ladies had a Bible translation that said “wild parties.” It strikes me that there seems to be no order to the sins listed. My organized brain would much rather they be listed in order of increasing “badness.” But that’s the point. Sin is sin. Your sin isn’t worse than mine and mine isn’t worse than yours. It’s like being a “little bit pregnant.” Because of this, the law has been replaced by grace and we are much better off leaving the judging to Christ.

Your may be saying to yourself, “Did she just call me a sinner?” I sure did. And guess what, I am too. We all are, because sin is so much fun and it’s so easy! It is much easier for me to be jealous of a friend who just purchased a shiny, red Corvette convertible than to be happy for her. It’s much easier to lose my temper and yell when a kid isn’t listening to me than to patiently discipline them.

The central theme of this passage is that with help from God, we can overcome these desires of the flesh. But it is interesting that he calls the good list “fruit.” Let’s think about fruit for a minute.[2]

Fruit is so good for you but how many times do you buy it with the best of intentions and then throw it away when it goes bad? Fruit is also fragile—you have to take care of it. A personal pet peeve of mine is baggers who throw my bananas around. Fruit can be difficult to grow—it requires tending. Every year I plant a whole row of tomatoes and every year I buy tomatoes from a neighbor.

But fruit reproduces itself and it is nourishing. It is full of HDL, the good cholesterol and full of vitamins that we need. If we eat enough fresh fruit, we can counteract the bad things (like chocolate) that we eat. So in essence, the fruit of the spirit can scrub us clean of the chocolate desires of the flesh.

But, just like a diet isn’t easy to follow, it’s not always easy to show the fruits of the spirit. In Galatians 5:24, Paul says that “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature.” We can picture ourselves nailing those desires to the cross. I have been known to walk by a sweet treat and say mean things to it. I’m not going to eat you today so you just get over it you stupid piece of chocolate! Crucifixion is painful, but it is decisive.[3]

We should strive for the fruits of the spirit (like you are supposed to strive to eat 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day). If we work on obtaining the fruits, the desires will naturally go away. Like if you fill up with apples, you won’t have room for chocolate. For example, if you work towards patience, gentleness, and self-control you will be better able to control your temper. If you strive towards self-control and healthy joy and peace, you will be less likely to drink too much.[4] In our story last week, if Rachel had worked towards patience, she would have been better able to accept God’s timing instead of using local customs (and her maidservant) to have a child.

But let’s get real for a moment. I could eat a whole bag of apples, but I would still have room for at least one Reese Cup. When you are in the midst of real life, it can be difficult to strive for the fruits of the spirit. For example, many Moms tell me that they feel overwhelmed by trying to be Mom, be wife and still have time for themselves. When we feel overwhelmed is exactly when we should stop and spend time in the Word and in prayer. At the very least, I repeat “Love is patient, love is kind” over and over in my head until the moment passes. The dishes can wait! But don’t let your fruit spoil uneaten.

In last week’s lesson, we said that if you are looking to others for joy and contentment, you will be disappointed. True joy and contentment comes from following the Lord. Jesus tells us this in John 15:9-11.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15: 9-11

The joy comes from knowing that God has forgiven us. Have you ever been pulled over on the road but given a warning, not a ticket? Well I have once, okay maybe twice. And let me tell you there is complete joy in that warning! The joy of forgiveness is like that. It means that even if you give into temptation (because let’s face it, it’s everywhere) you can run back to the love of Christ and be forgiven. My kids go through stages where they spend allot of time in time-out. But what do I do when it’s over? I run to them and wrap them up in my arms. Our heavenly Father is the same way.

Too often as women we are looking for the next big thing. When he starts sleeping through the night… When she starts school…When I get married…When we get that bill paid off… When I get the basement cleaned out… And we focus on what we think other women have that we don’t. (Notice I said think) This drags us down. The secret to being happy is to be content with what we have. Paul reminds us of this in Philippians 4:11-13, a familiar passage.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

Our Wednesday night group is inter-generational. This is such a blessing. We had a lively discussion on how contentment is different for the different generations, and I’ll admit that I have never truly been in need. The other day when something didn’t go exactly as I wanted it, I did have a moment where I stopped and thought “you are such a child of the 80s!” My peer group has been truly blessed and we have much to learn from our parents and our grandparents. Many of us are learning how to do more with less for the first time in our lives right now. And it’s gotten many of us down.

The key to being content with our current situation and to continue striving for those fruits is to remember that Christ is there to strengthen us. [5] He never intended us to do it alone! So instead of being Superwoman, don’t be afraid to ask for help, from your spouse, from your kids, from a parent, from your neighbor, from a friend, but especially from God.

Also remember, if you plant an apple seed today, you won’t be making apple pie tomorrow. The fruits of the spirit are the same way. We will constantly be tempted. It is a daily struggle to crucify the desires of the flesh. Don’t be dismayed if you fail today, but pick up and try again tomorrow.

And an apple tree will likely not grow just on its own. It needs someone to water it, fertilize it, keep the deer from eating it, etc. Same with the fruits of the spirit. Rely on each other and rely on Christ to grow them. Christ told us in John 15: 1-2 that if we remain in him, we will bear fruit. Sometimes, He may painfully correct us or shape us, but the end result will be beautiful.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15: 1-2

My challenge this week is good for your body and your soul. Eat a piece of fruit every day. While you are eating it, take the time to taste it and to meditate on the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. See if you can recite them from memory by this time next week.

We will be taking a 3 week break from the Bible study. Next Thursday, April 1st, Big Island Baptist will observe Maundy Thursday with a communion service. The week after Easter I will be out of town and on Wednesday, April 14th, Big Island Baptist will hold a quarterly business meeting. Our study will resume on April 21st with “The other Salome.” Our jumping off scriptures are Matthew 20: 20-24, Matthew 27: 55-56 and Mark 16: 1-8. I hope you can join us in person or in cyberspace!

[1] NIV Life Application Study Bible

[2] http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/4805.htm

[3] http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/4805.htm

[4] Amber Albee Swenson, Bible Moms (Sisters, Oregon: Trusted Books, VMI Publishers), 2007) p. 57

[5] Amber Albee Swenson, Bible Moms (Sisters, Oregon: Trusted Books, VMI Publishers), 2007) p. 57

I recently read His Brain, Her Brain: How Divinely Designed Differences Can Strengthen Your Marriage by Walt and Barb Larimore. This insightful (and often hilarious) book explains that there are actual physical differences in the way that men and women think. For example, while a man’s brain is bigger in size, a woman’s brain has more connections. This gives us women more attention to detail. And I’m sure it is no surprise that the two sections of the brain responsible for language are larger in women than in men.

The bottom line is that God created us to be different! Thankfully, the Bible has stories of both men and women. Throughout this study, we will learn from the women of the Bible. We will study a woman’s life one week and a lesson from her life the following week.

This week we started with one of the Bible’s most famous soap operas, Rachel and Leah.

For a bit of background, Jacob had tricked his brother, Esau, and stolen his birthright. When Esau threatened to kill him, he ran away to his uncle, Laban. That is where this story picks up.

Genesis 29:16-20

Ah, love. Jacob loved Rachel so much that seven years were over in the blink of an eye. But poor Leah, Moses (the human author of Genesis) tries to put it kindly by saying she had “weak eyes.”

During this time, it was traditional for the groom’s family to pay a dowry to the bride’s family. Because Jacob had run away from home he had no riches to give. His Uncle Laban was kind enough to exchange work for the dowry. But read on and you will see that it wasn’t kindness that motivated Laban.

Genesis 29:21-25

Uh oh! So, it turns out that Laban was looking for a way to marry off his “weak eyed” daughter, Leah. He did deceive Jacob, but it was also customary to marry daughters off in order of their birth. Remember that earlier in his life, Jacob had deceived his older twin brother to sell him his birthright. Looks like it came back to get him!

But, how would Jacob not know what was happening? There are several customs at play here. First of all, these were different times than now. Jacob had spent seven years working for Rachel, but he barely knew Rachel during that time. He would have barely touched her and certainly would not have spent time alone with her. During the wedding ceremony, the bride would have been covered by a veil until she was alone with her husband. In those days, the wedding party lasted all day into the night and would have included large amounts of wine. Put all this together with the fact that there was no electricity and Jacob had been waiting eagerly for seven years and you can understand how he could have made this mistake. But it was not a mistake he was content to live with.

Genesis 29:26-30

So here we go, the stage is set for a lifetime of jealousy. Polygamy was a common practice in this part of the world, probably as a means of survival. Large families were needed to do large amounts of work. When I posed the idea of your husband having multiple wives, there were some in our group that thought the idea of having another wife around to help with children, laundry and cleaning wouldn’t be that bad but we agreed that the friction among relationships would far outweigh this luxury. When I worked for an international charity, I went to a conference and met a gentleman from Senegal where polygamy is still practiced. He joked that he wanted another wife but he was too afraid of his first wife to get one. Interestingly, God had warned Abraham (Jacob’s grandfather) to not adopt the customs of the people around them. If Laban and Jacob had listened to this advice, they would have avoided all the trouble to follow.

Genesis 29:31-35

Jacob may have loved Rachel more, but he certainly didn’t neglect Leah! Let’s look at the way Leah named her children because there is a significant transition. The first child was Reuben, “he has seen my misery” and the second was Simeon, “one who hears.” These names give us a sense that Leah really was miserable and constantly crying out to God because she felt unloved. The third was Levi, “attached,” showing that Leah believed that Jacob would love her because of their children together. Finally, she names the fourth child Judah, “praise.” It is at this point that her focus shifts from herself and her own troubles to the blessing of her children. It was then that she stopped having children. And these four little boys were more than her younger sister could bear.

Genesis 30:1-8

So, here’s an odd cure for jealousy—tell your husband to sleep with another woman! This actually was not unusual during that time. If a woman was barren it was acceptable for her to give her maidservant to her husband as a concubine. The maidservant would sit on the mistress’s knees to give birth. That would then make the child hers. This is another one of those local Canaanite traditions that some Israelites adopted. Because the ultimate purpose of a woman was to bear children, this solved that dilemma.

The name here is important too. Dan means “he has vindicated” and Naphthali means “my struggle.” Dan does point to God even though Rachel used her own means to have a child. But both names imply that she is happier to be catching up to her sister than to finally be a mother.

Genesis 30: 9-13

Leah has to get into the concubine act as well. And she expresses her happiness that her plan worked by naming her sons Gad, “good fortune,” and Asher, “happy.”

Genesis 30:14-20

Poor Jacob. All he wanted to do was marry Rachel. Now he has four wives, at least two who are fighting over him and “hiring” him with mandrakes. Mandrakes were thought to aid in conception, so they would have been important to Rachel. This is another example of one of God’s people taking things into their own hands.

The mandrakes may not have worked for Rachel but something worked for Leah and she bore two more children. Again, their names are important if a bit misguided. Issachar means “reward.” Leah actually believed that God was rewarding her for giving her maidservant to Jacob as a wife. Zebulun means “honor.” Even after all those years, she still believes that bearing children will cause Jacob to love her.

Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

Almost as a footnote, Leah gives birth to a daughter. Perhaps this adds insult to injury by showing that she can produce both kinds of children.

At last, Rachel gives birth to a son. She shows hope for the future by naming her son Joseph, “may he add.” Her prayer is answered several years later with the birth of Benjamin.

This is certainly a soap opera! The characters struggle with deceit, jealousy, lack of love and sin among other things. Isn’t it wonderful that God uses real people to teach us how to live?

How many of us feel like Leah? She wasn’t beautiful, she wasn’t loved, her husband used her (for sex and other things) and she had ALL these children! I am sure she was overwhelmed, lonely and depressed. I also know that I have felt the same way at points in my life. But God loved Leah. In Genesis 29:31, the Bible says that God loved her and opened her womb. This should comfort us that our popularity on Earth does not affect our worth to God.

Even when we are weak and we fall into sin, God can use us. In Hebrews 7:14 we read “For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah…” Judah, as in Leah’s fourth son, was a direct ancestor of Jesus. Interestingly, Judah would not have been created if Jacob had gotten his original wish of marrying just Rachel. Remember also that Judah means “praise.” This was the first time that Leah’s focus shifted from herself to God. Judah is also the one down the road who talks his brothers out of killing Joseph. Then Joseph was taken to Egypt and was able to save the family from starvation. So, as women, we do not have to be “perfect” to be “successful.” What we need to do is allow God to use us and work through us.

We also learn that children (or physical relations) do not create a fulfilling relationship. Do you know someone who has had a child to keep their partner happy? Do you know someone who does not feel fulfilled unless they have a child or a significant other? Leah had 7 children but Jacob still didn’t love her. She finally recognized that her happiness came through God, not her children or her husband.

So, we need to love our husbands (or our children) for who they are, not who we want them to be. This doesn’t mean accepting someone who is emotionally or physically abusive, but it means putting up with the little things that bother us like spitting in the shower, forgetting to lock the front door, leaving dirty socks on the floor, etc. (Not that those things would happen in my house!) If you try to get fulfillment from your family or a relationship you will always be disappointed. I know that I am always way too critical and expect way too much. But God will never disappoint (he may take His sweet time, but he won’t disappoint.) Rachel could have saved years of misery (and maybe some stretch marks!) if she had figured this out before her fourth child.

Our next Bible study will be March 24th at 6:45. We will be discussing the Fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:19-26. We would love to have you join us. If you can’t look for the wrap up on the website late next week.

Annie

While I was sitting in the pharmacy waiting for a prescription of Tamiflu, I called my Mother-in-Law to give her an updated on her grandkid.  I also gave her some good natured ribbing on raising a son who was afraid of germs.  (That’s all I’ll say about that.)   As soon as I hung up, an older man also waiting for medicine fussed at me telling me that Swine flu was serious and people were dying from it.

I couldn’t get mad at him because I was the one rudely talking on my cell phone in a public place, but I calmly explained that yes I was very concerned about my daughter and the rest of the family but that he didn’t know my family.  Fortunately, the Holy Spirit intervened and kept me from saying too much more!  But that didn’t stop an entire conversation about the spread of flu, the difficulty in getting flu shots, schools closing because too many kids are sick, people dying from it and so on.  And most of the other people coming and going in the pharmacy took part in this conversation too.

It seems as if you can’t make it through a day without hearing about the flu.  It’s on the TV, internet, in the paper and on the lips of friends, family and strangers.  This has gotten me thinking.  What if we talked about the Good News as much as we talked about the Swine Flu?  Would we treat others differently?  Would we see things differently?  Would our world be transformed?

Too often we treat the Good News just like the flu.  We hide it and keep it to ourselves.  We isolate ourselves from the world, staying in a safe zone surrounded by people who think like we do.  Instead of seeking out opportunities to share it, we pretend that we don’t know it.  We are like Peter on the night of Jesus’ crucifixion—I swear I don’t know that man!   I know that I have been guilty of far too many missed opportunities.  I’ve been too busy to invest the time, too tired to care or just too scared of being ridiculed.

Sometimes we even try to protect ourselves from the Good News.  We limit our study of scripture to “feel good” verses and don’t grapple with the challenging text.  We are quick to assume that those who criticize us are wrong and we respond without asking God for His opinion first.  We pick and choose church events, attending the ones that won’t challenge us to change and grow.  Or if we do feel challenged, instead of exploring what the Holy Spirit is trying to say to us, we put up walls of defense.

I will readily admit that I am terrified of being too close to God.  I am scared of the things He might ask me to do.  I have often said that “God doesn’t call us to be comfortable” but it is so hard to truly live that out.  This morning in my Bible study I read Hebrews 6:7-8: “Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.  In the end it will be burned.”  I have copied this scripture and stuck it on the refrigerator and I will pray every day that I am producing a crop, not thorns and thistles.

By all means, don’t leave your house if you have a fever, wash your hands often and cough into your sleeve.  But don’t treat the love of God the same way.  Those of us who have been touched by God have been given an awesome gift.  Why are we so afraid to share that gift with the world?

Normally, I avoid driving his truck at all costs.  But I was going to see Mom and she had promised me free furniture.  I’ll do anything for free, so drive the truck it was.

Now, up until April of this year I had driven a standard transmission for my entire driving career.  My dream car when I was 15 was a Volkswagon Bug, and because I was spoiled rotten, my parents found, bought and restored that exact car.  (Well restored the outside anyway, but the Bug’s adventures will be saved for another blog.)  I still vividly remember Mom telling me on the way to pick it up that it had three pedals and my reaction of “huh?”  I also vividly remember the adventures of learning to operate a clutch.  At one time I actually jumped out of the car in the middle of busy Cedar Road and refused to drive it any further.  But after much practice and several gray hairs on Dad’s head, I think I mastered the art of “driving stick” quite well.  And even though Bubba truck shifts like a dump truck, I was proud that I could drive it without too much jumpiness.

On Friday morning I watched Bryon drive off in my nice, comfortable, luxurious by comparison Mom car all while I was grumbling about how much this weekend trip would cost me in gas money.  My wonderful husband ignored my grumbling and left me with a full tank of gas to get me started.  I packed up, threw luggage into the back of the truck and went to pick the kids up from school.

I drove from school to the bank—less than 10 miles—looked at the gas gauge and saw that it was down by a quarter of a tank.  A quarter of a tank!  I burned through a quarter of a tank in 10 miles!  This was going to be one looong trip.  Then a light bulb went off in my head.  I hadn’t shifted gears once.  In a span of five months, I had forgotten that one needed to shift gears, and Bubba truck’s engine is so loud anyway that I didn’t even notice it protesting.

How often do we live our lives stuck in one gear?  (Remember the Friend’s theme—“it’s like you’re always stuck in second gear?”)  The “noise” around us can be so loud sometimes that we don’t notice.  While we have every intention of cruising at top speed in fifth gear, we get bogged down in the immediate crises and forget to shift out of first.  I try so hard to spend time with God every day, but there are still days when I get caught up in what I think needs to be done and I forget about what is important.   I want so much to be living exactly as God intended and fulfilling His dreams for me, but I won’t get there in first gear.

In the movie, we meet Tinkerbell for the first time and watch her develop.  She quickly befriends a group of “nature fairies” who are responsible for bringing Spring to the world.  There is a fairy who wakes up the sleeping animals, a fairy who plants seedlings, a fairy who paints the flower petals and so on.

Now, let me say that I know there are some Christian parents who will not expose their children to any type of fantasy literature or movies.  In our family, I think that a little bit of fantasy is fine as long as you follow it up with the truth. Although I will admit that when I was explaining that fairies weren’t real and Nathan asked “What about the tooth fairy?” I played dumb.  I wasn’t quite ready to destroy that piece of childhood magic.

Anyway, I did explain to our kids that it isn’t the fairies who bring the seasons to the world.  But that the change in seasons is magical.  There is no better time to see that then now as Fall is clearly on its way.  And I will argue with anyone that there is no better place to see it than here off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It is not Nature Fairies or even “Mother Nature” who brings us the seasons; it is our Creator, God.  It is He who lines up the geese and points them to the South, it is He who puts the lilies to bed and it is He who paints the leaves red and gold.

I was a Biology major in college and I love science.  It gives me a sense of order and I am comforted to think that there is a system behind the changes in our world.  I realize that Fall happens because our half of the earth is titling away from the sun and the nights are getting colder and this is triggering the chlorophyll in leaves to diminish allowing other colors to appear.  But, I find it much harder to believe that this happens by chance than to believe that it happens by design.

About the tenth time I watched “Tinkerbell” I noticed that there is a swirl pattern repeated throughout the movie.  It is found on leaves, in the patterns of the sun and on the fairy wings.  To me, the handprint of God is all around us.  My challenge for you this week is to look for that handprint.  Whether you are racing to work on 501 or have time to sit and watch a sunset on the parkway (or whatever makes sense where you live) just keep your eyes open for the magic that surrounds us.  Then take a moment and just breathe “How Great Thou Art!”  And let me know what you found.

The only way to describe how I’ve felt over the past 6 months is “restless.”  I knew there was something else out there for me, but I didn’t know what.  Like all working mothers, I felt guilty.  Guilty for missing T-ball games, guilty for missing bedtimes and guilty for day after day peeling kids out of my arms to leave for work.  On top of this was the feeling that I was robbing God.  When God called Bryon into the ministry, he called our whole family.  Like it or not, we have been set apart.  And I was trying to avoid it.

Changes at work made it a convenient time for me to reevaluate my priorities in life.  As I often do, I made a list of pros and cons (yes, I’m a geek).  I had to weigh options such as “How can I waste all that education I have?” with “If I’m at home I can be more involved with my kids’ education.”  Or “Will I ever work again?” with “I’ll have more time to support Bryon’s work.”  And “We won’t have money for a nice vacation.” with “I won’t miss another event in my children’s lives.”

I set my list aside and asked God in prayer for direction.  A few days later, I looked at my list again and it was crystal clear.  My con side was a list of worldly things—money, prestige, power and my pro side was a list of spiritual things—service, mission, mercy.  And then I understood what my next calling was.  Even though I was doing good work where I was, the work I was supposed to be doing  wasn’t there.  And our family was blessed with the ability for me to change directions.  God was telling me “You who are weary, come home.”

I haven’t figured it all out yet.  But I do know that my family is at peace.  And that I am ready for whatever else God has in store.