COTW - SON OF THUNDER.

For the past two months, I've been reading through a book called Twelve Ordinary Men by John Macarthur, a study of the twelve disciples. A few weeks ago, I read through the chapter on James, one of the "Sons of Thunder." John focuses on one story in particular where Jesus and his disciples are traveling through Samaria on the way to worship in Jerusalem in Luke 9. One night during their journey through Samaria, Jesus and his disciples were denied lodging for the night. When James hears of this, he says this: "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" (Lk. 9:54) Jesus got denied a place to stay, and James wanted to call down the flames of heaven to swallow them up - Jesus didn't call him a "Son of Thunder" for nothing.

I'm generally a pretty calm man, but when I see something that makes baby Jesus cry, my blood starts pumping, my fists clench, and my teeth grind. One morning in the Teen Shack, one of our female staff had delievered the message. As she closed in prayer and the kids began to file out, one kid approached her and asked if he could ask her a few questions. After she agreed, she asked her to turn to 1 Corinthians, and proceeded to read this verse: "women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says." (1 Cor. 14:34) He then looked at her innocently and said, "What do you think?" Oh, boy - if I could've brought down the wrath of GOD down on his arrogant, disrespectful little butt, I would've. I definitely would've dropped a few 'bows on him, but I didn't want to send him home crying to his momma. When I see people practically spitting in the face of Jesus and in the faces of his children, I want to make like Jules in Pulp Fiction and lay the smack down. After spending a summer working with students, my tolerance for disrespect has dropped drastically - but there is a fine line between godly, constructive discipline and putting students down just because.

John concludes his study with these words: "...lovingkindness and mercy are virtues to be cultivated as much as (and sometimes more than) righteous indignation and fiery zeal." (pg. 89) Jesus, I want to burn for you - both with a passion for the reverence and honor of GOD, and also with a passion to be filled with the love and compassion of the Jesus who bore the shame of the world on his shoulders to free us from hate and fear. Teach me balance between zeal and compassion - I want to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. See you soon.

"As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village." (Luke 9:51-56)