Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony In a Complex World (1981, 2005) by Richard J. Foster, Book Review

Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony In a Complex World (1981, 2005) by Richard J. Foster

 
I was first introduced to Christian spiritual disciplines through Richard Foster's classic Celebration of Discipline many years ago. I learned so much from that book, and I've practiced some of it until today, such as the disciplines of study, service, solitude, celebration - and simplicity. But then, I read and heard other authors criticize this book as being very influenced by ancient Catholic mystics, Eastern practices, and extrabiblical advice. In my opinion, some of the critics are valid (such as contemplative prayer, Lectio Divina, etc., which I'm very uncomfortable with), and some simply disagree on methods and traditional streams of Christianity, which are very subjective. This is a good reminder - for me and you - to read any books, even so-called Christian books with spiritual discernment, and holy skepticism, and get the most out of them (perhaps Philippians 4:8 is applicable here).

With this in mind, I reread Richard Foster's Freedom of Simplicity, an extension of one of the disciplines in his classic book as mentioned above. The idea of Christian simplicity is similar to secular minimalism but with one major difference: the main focus of simplicity is on God first, not the self. It is about intentionally getting rid of the things and reordering our lives that hinder our walk with God. Or, to put it positively, to enable us to walk with God with joy and freedom. God is calling us to live a simple life as Jesus lived simply. It allows us to create more space and the mental capacity for the Holy Spirit to move in all areas of our lives. This book reminds me of Proverbs 30:8b-9, "Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name." Give me Jesus!

Foster divided the book into two parts: the foundation and the practice. He first argues why the discipline of simplicity is urgent, challenging, complex, and yet necessary. He also shows that it is rooted in the Old Covenant (Testament), the New Covenant, and church history among the saints. Based on his survey of Biblical texts, witnesses and practices, he concludes that inward simplicity must consist of 1) The Divine Center and, 2) Holy Obedience. From these, outward and corporate simplicity will overflow from our lives to affect our community and the world around us. Foster ends this book with encouragement, namely, the simplicity of simplicity: "There are not many things we have to keep in mind - in fact, only one: to be attentive to the voice of the true Shepherd. There are not many decisions we have to make - in fact, only one: to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. There are not many tasks we have to do - in fact, only one: to obey him in all things." Come to think about it, the discipline of simplicity IS indeed simple because it is by God's grace. How do I get there? Well, hard work! A paradox.

#LeadersAreReaders #FreedomOfSimplicity #RichardFoster #SpiritualDiscipline #GraceAndWork #ChristianLifestyle #ServeToLead #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Romans 1:5-7 The Chief End of the Gospel (#LetterToTheRomans)

"Through [Lord Jesus Christ our Lord] whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations" (Romans 1:5). There are four (4) things that we need to know about the Gospel ������✍ #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #TheChiefEndOfTheGospel

To watch previous short studies of #LetterToTheRomans CLICK HERE ��� http://bit.ly/LegasiRomans 

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Romans 1:1 I Am a Slave of Christ (#LetterToTheRomans​)

 

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel..." (Romans 1:1) What does it mean to be a servant or slave of Christ? #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #SlaveOfChrist #LetterToTheRomans

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The Duties of Parents (2010, first published 1888) by J. C. Ryle, Book Review

 The Duties of Parents (2010, first published 1888) by J. C. Ryle

My parents are good but not saints; as far as I can remember, they never taught me about Christ and the Word directly but I remember they (especially mom) taught me to pray before a meal and went to bed; I believe they want the best for me but in our culture, best mean mediocrity. I don't blame them, they just follow the examples from their own parents, grandparents, and so on. I never regret having them as my parents (although, I once imagined that I'm the prince of the King of England!) but I decide, by God's grace, to make a difference for my future children. You should too. Change must start with us. Bishop J.C. Ryle (1816-1900), of which his seven volumes of Expository Thoughts on the Gospels I owned, open this short book with the famous verse from Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go - and when he is old, he will not depart from it." If the crisis of ungodliness among young people during Ryle's time was alarming as he mentions in the book, then, surely today has become worse. In my observation, the responsibility to "train up a child" that is supposed to begin at home has ended up mostly left to the school, the church (if any), and even social media. This is not supposed to be so for Proverb 22:6 assumes that it is the responsibility of the parents or the close guardian(s) of "a child" to give godly instructions and to train him or her to walk with God. Ryle explains: "The plain truth is, the Lord's commandment in our text is not regarded - and therefore the Lord's promise in our text is not fulfilled." Don't make excuses, just obey the Word of God and you will be blessed. Here are Ryle's seventeen (17) insights of biblical responsibility of child-rearing that he outlines in this book:

1. If you train your children rightly, train them in the way they should go, and not in the way they would
2. Train Up your child with all tenderness, affection, and patience
3. Train your children with an abiding persuasion on your mind that much depends upon you
4. Train with this thought continually before your eyes – that the soul of your child is the first thing to be considered
5. Train your child to a knowledge of the Bible
6. Train them to a habit of prayer
7. Train them to habits of diligence, and regularity about public means of grace
8. Train them to a habit of faith
9. Train them to a habit of obedience
10. Train them to a habit of always speaking the truth
11. Train them to a habit of always redeeming the time
12. Train them with a constant fear of overindulgence
13. Train them remembering continually how God trains His children
14. Train them remembering continually the influence of your own example
15. Train them remembering continually the power of sin
16. Train them remembering continually the promises of Scripture
17. Train them, lastly, with continual prayer for a blessing on all you do

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #JCRyle #GodlyParentsGodlyChildren #NoExcuseJustObey #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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We Must Obey God Rather Than Men

 

Peter (and the other apostles) was not being disrespectful to the religious leaders when he said this 👇 In fact, in 1 Peter 2:13-17, he encourages us to submit to authority and human government "for the Lord's sake." But when their rules go against the faith, it is undoubtful that we should obey God first and foremost rather than fear and bow to men. Be a good citizen, even more, be a better Christian. Where are men with godly conviction nowadays?

Martin Luther, defending himself against German princes and Roman Catholic priests, said, "My cause shall be commended to the Lord for He lives and reigns who preserved the three children* in the furnace of the Babylonian king. If He is unwilling to preserve me, my life is a small thing compared with Christ. Expect anything of me except flight or recantation. I will not flee, much less recant. So may the Lord Jesus strengthen me." He did not say "deliver me" ❌ or "make it easy for me" ❌ He said "strengthen me" ✅ And he concluded his response with the words, "Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God" ➕ #ServeToLead #FearGodNotMen

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Imperfection (#GrowingLeader)

 

If you wait to be perfect first before you serve God, you will never start to serve. But by His grace, He can use imperfect people to accomplish His will. Leaders, don't be discouraged, just be available for Him to use you 😊🤜🤛 #ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #Imperfection

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First Be A Good Follower (#GrowingLeader)

I believe this: A good leader must first be a good follower. Leith Anderson reminds us: "The Bible says comparatively little about leadership and a great deal about followership. Jesus did not invite Peter, Andrew, James, and John to become leaders immediately. He said, 'Follow Me.'" Are you a good follower? 😊⚡🙏 #ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #GoodLeadersGoodFollowers

Reference: Gene Wilkes' Jesus on Leadership (1998)
Video: Clip from The Chosen (2020)

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Lord, Heal My Tongue: 3 Steps of Healing (Part 7/9)

Let us look at three simple, practical, scriptural steps to dealing with the problem of your tongue. Take these steps and see to it - that your tongue be healed.

[This is a reading from Derek Prince's Does Your Tongue Need Healing? (1986) by Derek Prince Ministries International. Published by Whitaker House] #ServeToLead #HealMyTongue

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3 Things that We Should Imitate Jesus from Luke 2:39-52 (Short Bible Study)

Watch other Bible Study videos:

CHAPTER 1

Luke 1:1-4 https://youtu.be/PVorOCQqOVM   

Luke 1:5-25 https://youtu.be/F5Kp-JU-c90  

Luke 1:26-38 https://youtu.be/1h56S9IGvf0  

Luke 1:39-56 https://youtu.be/2fQYRCvIn5k  

Luke 1:57-66 https://youtu.be/4JsE7rFRCig  

Luke 1:67-80 https://youtu.be/Swmh_gjEBp0  

CHAPTER 2

Luke 2:1-7 https://youtu.be/A-lKr7906JI  

Luke 2:8-20 https://youtu.be/OmCUs95ozUQ  

Luke 2:21-24 https://youtu.be/MfVXnV3X-Og  

Luke 2:25-35 https://youtu.be/-hODLozQbmM  

Mother’s Day Special https://youtu.be/56a8cmkRpd8

Luke 2:36-38 https://youtu.be/56a8cmkRpd8

Luke 2:39-52 https://youtu.be/QaLBTLSkMls  

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4 Lessons I Learned from the Characters in Luke 1:26-38 (Short Bible Study)

Bible Study #3 @ Luke 1:26-38,

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

4 Lessons from the Characters that I Learned:

#1 Gabriel: Be Faithful with The Message

#2 Joseph: Be Responsible for The Message

#3 Mary: Be Obedience to The Message

#4 Jesus Christ: The Essence of The Message

Want to Watch Previous Videos?

Episode #1: https://youtu.be/PVorOCQqOVM

Episode #2: https://youtu.be/F5Kp-JU-c90

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Learn Manhood from David #1 Refuse to Compromise

“[Now] your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command”

(Said God the King through the Prophet Samuel to King Saul, 1 Samuel 13:14, NLT)

Men experience tough times; God never promised we wouldn’t. And though the Bible doesn’t reveal how to escape our hardships, it does show us how to get through them. James 1:2 says, “Dear brothers and sisters when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” “…when troubles come…” So, it’s not whether we will face tough times, but when.

We can learn a lot about dealing with tough times from David. In the midst of hardship, he didn’t compromise – which says a lot about the kind of man David was. Many men cave under pressure but David held strong. Here’s what was going on at the time: Israel was involved in a religious war. The priesthood was corrupt (Eli’s, the high priest, sons both priests were corrupt! See 1 Samuel 2:12-13) and the judges were dishonest and abusive (Samuel’s, the prophet, sons both judges were wicked! See 1 Samuel 8:1). During the war, Palestine had captured the Ark of the Covenant, Israel’s symbol of God’s presence. Israel was in the thick of spiritual darkness. They refused to listen to the Prophet Samuel’s warnings and openly rebelled against God’s Word.

With the people’s eyes diverted from God, they looked at the world around them and saw what appeared to be the perfect solution – a king. They complained and demanded to Samuel, “Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8:5). Although Samuel warned the people about the consequences of demanding a king, their tunnel vision and lack of concern for God’s plan created a powerful movement to find a king (read 1 Samuel 8:6-22). So God gave Israel over to its careless and impatient demands and allows ‘the Plan B’ king – people’s choice – to take the throne. This king set the stage for Israel’s long and tumultuous history.

The man Samuel anointed as king was Saul “the most handsome man in Israel – head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land” (1 Samuel 9:2). This man and his exploits significantly shaped David’s own destiny. In fact, we often find that Saul serves as the classic bad example when we contrast his actions with David’s. Saul became David’s boss, nemesis, and bounty hunter. Saul typically reacted to challenges very differently than David. Instead of obeying God and refusing to compromise, Saul caved in and tried to engineer the circumstances to his own benefit. Here are three (3) examples of how Saul is different from David in dealing with tough times:

	Saul	David
Taking Responsibility	He tries to justify his actions (1 Samuel 15:15)	He took ownership of his sin (2 Samuel 12:13)
Motive	He was afraid of the people and did what they demanded (1 Samuel 15:24)	The fear of the Lord caused him to repent (2 Samuel 12:13)
Bravery	He ends up became a fearful king (1 Samuel 17:11)	He was courageous always (1 Samuel 17:32; 2 Samuel 17:8)

Men must endure hardships, challenges, and temptations in tough times and refuse to compromise. As Patrick Henry writes, “Adversity toughens manhood, and the characteristic of the good or the great man is not that he has been exempt from the evils of life, but that he has surmounted them.” The big question that keeps in my mind as I think of these two characters is this: When times get tough, am I more like Saul or David?

“Teach me your ways, O LORD,

that I may live according to your truth!

Grant me purity of heart,

so that I may honor you”

(Psalms 86:11)

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Young Men and Women, Consider the Humility of Jesus

"[Jesus] humbled himself in obedience to God…"
(Philippians 2:8,NLT)

To His ambitious disciples, Jesus said, "I am among you as one who serves" (Luke 22:27). The background of this staggering assertion was the unseemly argument among His disciples as to who should be the greatest in God's kingdom. With such power-struggle, the Master's humility stands in striking contrast.

Humility is a distinctively human grace, though Christ's contemporaries viewed it as anything but a virtue (even today people praise the ‘virtue of pride'). Jesus elevated the word and interpreted it with new meaning – God-view-meaning. Humility is not, as many feels, thinking meanly or talk down to oneself. Rather, it is thinking or talking not of oneself at all! This was characteristic of our Lord. He was clothed with humility, and it was not an outer pretense but inward life within Him.

Let us consider first the example He sets. It has rightly been said that Jesus ‘was a standing rebuke to the pride of every kind and a living example of humility at its highest.' By working as a carpenter, He rebuked pride of birth and of rank and position. He rebuked the pride of independence by allowing women to supply His financial needs while on earth. He rebuked pride of intellect when He said, "I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me" (John 8:28). He rebuked the pride of self-help and will-power when He asserted, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing" (John 5:19). He was content to be nothing in order that His Father might be all. [P.s: Notice how often Jesus used words like "nothing" and "not" of Himself in the Gospel of John. Underline the occurrences and then follow the example. Jesus was just as humble before men as He was before the Father.]

Secondly, consider the teaching He gave on the theme of humility. His humility consisted in the surrender of Himself to the Father for the fulfillment of His will and He taught us to have the same attitude. Hear His words: "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him" (Matthew 5:3); "I am humble and gentle at heart" (Matthew 11:29); "Whoever wants to be the first among you must become your slave" (Matthew 20:27); "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 14:11).

Only the indwelling Christ – Christ in us – can make us truly humble and self-forgetful; only He can reproduce in us His own humility through the Holy Spirit. How slow we are to learn that God's way up is down! Our pride came from the flesh, but the source of our humility is from the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Jesus says, "I am humble and gentle at heart."

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Timothy, A Church Leader Must Know How to Manage His Own Family (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

"[An overseer] must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)"

(1 Timothy 3:4-5, NIV)

I recently watched Billy Graham's Funeral on Youtube and I was touched by many wonderful testimonies about the man of God. Though as I read his book Just As I Am, he was far from being a perfect father (he became an absent husband and father during his crusade rallies), his life both in the ministry and home is very encouraging. Franklin Graham, who delivered the main funeral message, said, "The Billy Graham that the world saw on television, the Billy Graham that the world saw in the big stadiums, was the same Billy Graham that we saw at home. There weren't two Billy Grahams. He loved his family. He stood by us. He comforted us." Anne Graham Lotz also testified, "My Father's legacy is one that encompasses the world… and engulfs my own life.  When I think of him, I don't think of Billy Graham, the public figure.  I think of my Daddy."

As Christian leader, no matter how busy he is, no matter how much ministry he needs to do, he "must manage his own family well." If he has children, he should take great care of them. Pastor's kids (PKs), for example, are faced with problems other children do not face and more. Though most PKs become rebellious due to the pressure and the expectation from others and self, their fathers have much to do with the kind of sons and daughters they will be. Do they see one man in the pulpit and another type of man at home? A leader must be led by God's authority and good examples that his children will want to know their father's Lord and Saviour. In this way, the "children [will] obey him with proper respect." Franklin Graham respects his father because he sees that: "There weren't two Billy Grahams."

Married Christian leader "must manage his own family well." His wife and children are to be in submission (Ephesians 5:22) and obedience (Ephesians 6:1) to him, not because he is "the boss," but because the Bible teaches God has placed him at the head of the home and holds him responsible for it. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church…" (Ephesians 5:25) and "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Simply put, Paul says if a leader has failed at home, he cannot possibly succeed in directing the church. So the question that he puts is both for self-examine and for qualification: If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?

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Timothy, the Law Is for Men who Practice Homosexuality But... (1 Timothy 1:8-11)

“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted”

(1 Timothy 1:8-11, ESV)

The law is good and useful. Useful for who? Not for the righteous, but for the unrighteous. Here Paul lists to Timothy those to whom the law applies and for whom it was made. It is interesting that the list falls into two categories, sins against God (“but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane”) and sins against one another (“for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers”). This led me to believe that Paul is referring to the pattern of the Mosaic Law, especially the Ten Commandments which fall into the same two divisions or categories.

First on the list are “the lawless and disobedient.” Those who don’t recognize law or rebel against the constituted authority (read Matthew 24:12) and those who have the do-my-own-thing attitude. The disobedience reminds me of Judges 21:25: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Then Paul moves to “the ungodly and sinners.” Though many people may not openly deny the existence of God, their lives demonstrate that God is nonexistent or they don’t consider God to be relevant, personal, or important. The ungodly is more of passive inaction whereas the sinners are actively rebels against God. This is followed by those who are described as “the unholy and profane.” Because of ungodliness, the thought that God is holy and righteous is far from their minds and hearts. Holiness is a strange word and concept. And because the righteousness, glory, and holiness of God are unknown, profanity, which simply means “trampling on that which is holy,” come next (remind me of Romans 3:18).

Paul now turns to sins against one another. “For those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers” those who did exactly what it is said. No sense of God’s holiness breeds no sense of respect for others, even to parents. Thus, no respect will result in seeing others as no value… so murdering those who bear the image of God is easy. Then Paul turns to sexual sins. “The sexually immoral.” There are two common words related to sexual immorality in the Bible: fornication and adultery (if you read the Book of Hosea, the common word is “whoredom”). I often differentiate them this way: fornication refers to sexual sin before marriage (premarital sex) and adultery refers to the same sin after marriage (having sex with someone other than his/her spouse). And then he touches on the most common sin during Timothy’s time but becoming very sensitive today “men who practice homosexuality.” Sadly, homosexuality has become accepted as a way of life today. We read news of homosexual churches, homosexual ministers/pastors/priests, and homosexual wedding ceremonies. Though I sympathize with those who struggle with homosexual tendencies but actively practicing homosexual relationships is a sin. Direct and clear.

Paul continues his list by mentioning “enslavers.” My ESV Bible footnote explains that enslavers are “those who take someone captive in order to sell him into slavery”. Kidnapping is a form of enslaver. It was estimated that nearly 4,000 Malaysian children went missing in 2014-2015 and no doubt that most of them are victims of human trafficking! Very sad. Finally, “liars, perjurers” complete the list of sins specifically named. Lying is an accepted way of life in much of the world today, even among those who professed to be Christians. A white lie, black lie, yellow lie – all lies! This kind of lying is selfish, irresponsible, and deceiving. Then, for all other sins against God and one another Paul included them all under “whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” (read previous articles about sound doctrine). I noticed that Paul did not say “whatever else is contrary to sound action” but rather “contrary to sound doctrine.” What a person believes – faith and theology/doctrine – determines how he lives.

This is the use of the law of God: to show that all of the above are the result of human unrighteousness. By law we are damned! But have hope and be joyful for Paul – and all the prophets and apostles – “have been entrusted” with “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God.” We can put our trust in their writings because they simply wrote the truth that God had entrusted them to deliver and proclaim. God’s glory is in Jesus Christ the Son of God. “He is the radiance of the glory of God” (Hebrews 1:3). Thus, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul is proclaiming! In Christ, we move from law to grace; from bondage to freedom; from unrighteousness to righteousness. The law is good, but the grace of God is wayyyyyyyyyyyy better! Amen.

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Young Men, Consider the Ascended Jesus

“[Jesus] left them and was taken up into heaven”

(Luke 24:51, NIV)

The ascension of our Lord directs attention to the fact that He is not only risen, but enthroned. It is that event in which the risen Christ finally and visibly withdrew from His disciples and passed into the heavens – a fitting climax to His life of perfect obedience on earth. His glorious ascension was the necessary and appropriate complement to His resurrection, and the manner in which it took place was consistent with His miraculous life and achievements.

He did not vanish out of sight as He did at Emmaus (Luke 24:31) leaving a question as to whether there might be yet further appearances. He walked away from them, and then He was carried up into heaven, there to sit at the right hand of God. It took place as they were looking on, in broad daylight (Acts 1:9). There was no possibility of mistake. He was really and finally gone.

He ascended bodily, and carried His glorified human body into heaven. He left the disciples, with His hands outstretched in blessing. As soon as His nail-pierced feet left the earth, He commenced His ministry as their Advocate and Intercessor. They exchanged His physical presence for His spiritual omnipresence.

The ascension was an important part of the Lord’s ministry on our behalf. It imparted the assurance that His death was effective and that all God’s claims against sinful men had been met. It evidenced the fact that the problem created by man’s sin had been finally solved. It enabled His disciples to give a satisfying account of the disappearance of Christ’ body from the tomb.

Further, it was the necessary prelude to the coming of the Holy Spirit as promised by the Lord. As the Scriptures says, “the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:39). Now the way was open for the Pentecostal effusion. By the ascension, the local Christ became the universal Christ whose personal presence was mediated by the Holy Spirit.

To Christ, it was the reward of His obedience unto death. “Therefore God exalted Him…” (Philippians 2:9). The ascension reversed man’s verdict on the Son of God. Had the Saviour not ascended, we would be without a representative in heaven, and without the Comforter to lead and guide us on earth. His presence in heaven makes heaven a blessed reality to us. Amen.

[Edited, modified and modernized from Consider Him (1976) by J. Oswald Sanders]

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Young Men, Consider the Head of Jesus

“On his head are many crowns”
(Revelation 19:12, NIV)

The head is the control tower of the body. From it, impulses and messages are transmitted to the farthest limb. It is the dominant part of the body. Our Lord’s head is mentioned several times in Scriptures, sometimes in its humiliation, sometimes in its exaltation.

He was a homeless head. “The Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). In these graphic words, Jesus indicated His rejection by His people. There was no bed for Him in the inn. Many were the night His head never touched a pillow. During His ministry, He had no home and was dependent on the hospitality of others.

But it was also an anointed head. In the extravagance of her love, Mary broke the priceless box of the fragrant anointing oil and poured it over His head (see Mark 14:3). Her act of love was to Him a green oasis in the dreary desert of rejection, a refreshing drought on the desolate road to the cross. Not everyone rejected Him.

His head was callously struck by His tormentors. “[They] twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head… They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again” (Matthew 27:29-30). The staff, mock royal scepter, was used to bruise and degrade the head of the Son of God. “He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). And those who struck Him were representative of us all.

His head was crowned in mockery (see Matthew 27:29). Thorns, a symbol of curse, adorned the brow of the Lord of glory, every thorn a point of fire.

“Is their diadem, as monarch,

That His brow adorns?

Yea, a crown, in very surety,

But of thorns”

(Author unknown)

“He bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30). All through the ghastly ordeal of crucifixion, His head had remained erect. The curse broke His heart but did not bow His head. Now His work was finished.

Again we see His head in dazzling majesty. “His head was white like wool, as white as snow” (Revelation 1:14). It is again erect and radiant. Never again will He bow it before His creations. In His hand, there is no longer a mocking staff, but the scepter of universal dominion.

Our final view of His head is crowned with many crowns (Revelation 19:12). He is crowned with glory and honor, the reward of His obedience unto death.

[Edited, modified and modernized from considering Him (1976) by J. Oswald Sanders]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.