Open Or Closed Hand

 

I once heard Cory Ten Boom speak. She had us hold our hands in a clenched fist. She said that life makes a person close their hand with the hurts that come our way. God wants us to live with an open hand. She said, “It is better to open your hand to God, but if we don’t, he will pry it open, and it hurts when he does.”

Living with an open heart that is receptive to God’s kindness and love is essential to living a meaningful life. Jesus told a parable that demonstrated the opposite when people reject God’s kindness. A father who had two sons. He asked the first to go work in his vineyard. He answered, “I won’t, but later changed his mind and went.” The second, said he would, but later did not go (Matthew 21:33-39). Jesus was pointing to tax collectors and prostitutes who were immoral but listened and repented. At the same time, the Pharisees pretended to be righteous but were not.

Luke told the story of a woman who came to a dinner uninvited, where Jesus was the guest, and wept over his feet and dried them with her hair. Then she broke an alabaster jar of perfume and anointed his feet. When the host, Simon saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39).

Jesus told him a story: “Simon, I have something to tell you.”  “Tell me, teacher,” he said.“ Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. (Luke 7:40-43).

The point of the story was that the woman had an open hand and an open heart to receive God’s grace, while Simon did not. Jesus said that the person who had the bigger debt forgiven would love the most. It was true of these two. Simon did not have a debt to be forgiven, at least that is what he thought. His heart was closed.

Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house.  You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You didn’t put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. (Luke 7:44-46).

When Jesus said to her, “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little. Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:47-48). The thought is not that her great love for Christ earned her forgiveness, but rather, this extravagant display of love was the result of being forgiven and living with an open heart.

Stay Faithful

Jesus gave his final sermon in Luke 21. It is also recorded in Matthew and Mark. Jesus’ talk covers many things, but his main point is —stay faithful! In the previous few days, Jesus had triumphantly entered Jerusalem and received the worship of those who recognized him as king. The next day, he cleansed the temple. He had given his last message in the temple, knowing the end was near. Jesus knew what lay ahead—the cross and his humiliating death, yet he walked in steadfast faithfulness to his Father’s will. 

Leaving the temple, Jesus and his disciples climbed Mt. of Olives. The context of this talk was his disciple’s admiration for the temple. The disciples were so impressed with the beauty of the temple, but Jesus told them not to be. He predicted the temple would be destroyed and every stone torn down. It was by the Romans in 70 AD.

Jesus told his disciples that there would be natural disasters, wars, and cosmic signs and people claiming to be the Messiah, but don’t believe them. The end is not yet. “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:27-28). Jesus predicted his Second Coming, as did Daniel and many of the other prophets. Jesus came the first time as a babe born in a stable. He entered Jerusalem as a king riding a humble donkey. But when he comes the second time, he will come in the clouds with his holy angels and all his saints.

My prayer is that we can keep our priorities straight: First God, then our families, and then our ministry and careers. If those priorities get out of alignment, we are in the enemy’s sights. A good analogy is the difference between thermometers and thermostats. Thermometer people react to mounting fear and uncertainty with a sudden surge in their emotional temperature. Their inner thoughts shout, “Danger, everything is going to be bad; there is no hope.” Fear drives the thoughts and words. Thermometers reflect their environment. Thermostats, on the other hand, control their environment. Thermostat people respond to the same signals with calm and trust in the Lord. They do not have knee-jerk reactions. Even in uncertainty, they know who is in charge and can remain faithful to God.

When we were living in Corrientes, Argentina, we purchased a property for planting our first church there. It was a property with just a roof and metal legs. We made a large payment in two installments. The second payment was due in 30 days, and a specific date was specified in the contract. However, as the day approached, the government announced that banks would be closed for several days. I contacted the owners and let them know payment on that day would not be possible because the banks were closed. I could have done it on the first day they opened. The sellers told me that I would forfeit the property and lose my first payment. I reviewed the contract, and it did indeed state that. I tried talking to them, telling them that it seemed unreasonable. They said they didn’t care what it appeared to me. Be there on that day with the money or lose the property and the first payment.

I contacted the only person who might have the money. He did, but no bank transfers were possible. I would have to go in person to get the money to a city 12 hours away. I couldn’t get a plane or a bus and be back in time. I would have to drive 12 hours there, stay for no more than an hour, and then drive back. I completed the task and arrived at the owner’s house before the deadline. I knocked on his door, and when he opened it, I was standing there with two briefcases full of money. I said, “Do you want to count it before you sign?” That is an example of an unfaithful and dishonest man. As I drove away from the man’s house, I knew that God had been faithful to me. I had every reason to stay faithful to God.

Experiences like this, which are not uncommon for us, make us yearn for a world without dishonesty and deception. That will never happen here, but it will one day be in God’s heaven. There will be no sin there because there will be no sinners. Our natures will be changed, and even our bodies will be transformed for heaven.

In the meantime, we are to stay Faithful! We are called to remain faithful, even though we will encounter unfaithfulness from this world and the people around us. None of that is a reason for us to be unfaithful. God calls us to be faithful in an unfaithful world.