Jesus, Clear and Simple: In Times of Struggle

Jesus, Clear and Simple

In Times of Struggle

A Comprehensive Framework for Jesus’ Teachings,

Presented by a Christian Psychologist

James G. Friesen

Jesus, Clear and Simple

In Times of Struggle

Copyright © 2016 James G. Friesen. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

Wipf & Stock

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

199

W.

8

th Ave., Suite

3

Eugene, OR

97401

www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-4982-7966-6

hardcover isbn: 978-1-4982-7968-0

ebook isbn: 978-1-4982-7967-3

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Finding the Right Path

Chapter 2: The Dimmer Switch

Chapter 3: Jesus’ Impact

Chapter 4: Jesus’ Foundational Teachings about Our Father

Chapter 5: Healing Prayer

Chapter 6: The Narrow Path

Chapter 7: Getting It

Chapter 8: Connecting the Dots

Chapter 9: Living from Your Heart

Chapter 10: The Sermon on the Mount

Chapter 11: A Framework for Jesus’ Teachings

References

Are you struggling? Do you want the life you have always longed for? Then live a life that’s all about Jesus. It’s not about what you want Him to do for you, or even what you think you should do for Him. It’s about the simplicity of knowing Him and being known by Him, heart to heart—nestled in His embrace like the serene calm in the eye of the storm. That’s what I want most out of life. And that’s what I love about this book, clear and simple.

—Mark Sanford, Spiritual Director, Elijah House, Coeur d’ Alene, ID

"This book is filled with new wine, fresh insight, and revelation knowledge. Tender, sensitive, and extremely readable, Jesus, Clear and Simple is a must-have. You’ll find encouragement, thought-provoking questions, and great insights to The Sermon on the Mount. . . . This book powerfully demonstrates the Father’s boundless and endless ways to love us to wholeness."

—Mari Anne Andersen, Director of Freedom House Ministry, Chicago, IL

"Rarely have I read a book that has simultaneously awakened my spirit and challenged my mind in such a synergistic, powerful way as Jesus, Clear and Simple. Dr. Friesen is a brilliant theologian, scholar, and clinician who comes alongside the reader as a newfound friend, illuminating the teachings of Jesus in practical terms, such that all can reach the hem of Jesus’ garment."

—Michelle Watson, Counselor, Author, Portland, OR

Over 30 years of pondering and practicing The Sermon on the Mount in the presence of real life and suffering, have been distilled into Jesus, Clear and Simple. Maturing, healing, and transforming into the character of Christ has its spectacular moments, but few people realize more clearly than Dr. Friesen that the depth of transformation we all desire emerges from struggle. A community of joy, prayer, and Bible study develops as we realize the Kingdom of God is not somewhere in the future, but here now. Gather a group together and use the study guide in this book to have a new look at your life."

—E. James Wilder, Ph.D., Author, speaker

It is worth your time to read this book. It will give you insight and understanding on how to achieve and live life abundantly. Dr. Friesen does an excellent job explaining the meaning of certain passages of scripture that have become commonplace. This is a great book and every Christian should read it.

—Henry Malone, Vision Life Ministries International, Inc., Lewisville, Texas

Rarely is the life-transforming power of the clear and simple teaching of Jesus in the Gospels actually made clear and simple in a way that truly transforms lives as Jesus intended. Skillfully designed by a biblical theologian and professional counselor for use by small groups, it is equally effective for anyone who is a faith-walking partner of someone who needs authentic light and realistic hope in the darkness of deep struggles. This book works!

—Richard Kriegbaum, President; Fresno Pacific University,

Author, Leadership Prayers

"We live in unprecedented times; people are coming to Christ more than any other time in history. Many people groups and regions of the world that traditionally have been closed off or difficult to reach are now coming to Christ in the droves. At the same time the church in the Western world has lost its edge for transformational influence on culture. I believe it is time to re-examine Jesus’ teachings on the Kingdom of God. Jesus, Clear and Simple: In Times of Struggle gives a clarion call back to Jesus’ life and the simple, but profound effects of His message about the Kingdom. Dr. Friesen’s book is both an invitation and a pathway for understanding Jesus’ essential teachings that release the Father’s love, presence, and provision. You will be stricken, as I was, with how simply and effectively Jesus’ words release transformation. Dr. Friesen writes from the heart with years of experience, and his book is full of life examples and packed with wisdom. He is not writing about a new theory, nor pushing the latest fad. He lives out these values and helps others do the same. This book provides practical guides with targeted questions that will lead the reader and groups into self-discoveries, transformational wholeness, and maturity as disciples of Jesus. I highly recommend this book to you!"

—Dave Collins, Director, Claremont Healing Rooms; Executive Administrator,

Wagner Leadership Institute, Pasadena, CA

Introduction

Getting ready to delve into a book about Jesus can be daunting. You would like to know if these ideas are the same ones you've known your whole life. They are not.

Re-examine with me Jesus' initial sermon, the Beatitudes, the Salt and Light teaching, being perfect, the narrow path, and the Lord's Prayer. See how they fit together. There will be plenty of discoveries for you. And then you will be challenged to see if the Sermon on the Mount gives us Jesus' six Essential Teachings. Further, you will have a chance to see if all of the rest of Jesus' teachings are extensions of those six Essential Teachings, and how they precisely line up with verses from the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus can hardly wait to usher you into new growth. He wants to pour out a blessing onto you every chance he has. Expect to find enriching insights-from him-in each chapter, in each Life Group discussion, and in your day-to-day struggles. Do not let go of your passion to grasp Jesus' message. Your eternal well-being is at stake, and that is important to him. That is why he came. That is why he laid out teachings which are clear and simple. They will be exactly what you need in times of struggle.

1

Finding the Right Path

Patrick

When he left a message on my voicemail, Patrick said he would like some help today. At the very least, he said, he wants to set an appointment to come in soon.

My marriage is breaking up. He could hardly speak.

I called him back right away and said I could see him this afternoon at one thirty.

I’ll be there.

I had first met Patrick and his wife some twenty years ago. At that time we diligently sought God’s healing for wounds in their marriage. His yelling fits were a stumbling block. Patrick talked the right counseling talk and quoted the right Bible verses. He genuinely wanted a good marriage, but he was not on the right path, then or now. He had been entrenched in his thinking for his whole adult life. His thoughts went in a different direction than mine about how God might help him. I believed Jesus would provide healing for him and didn’t load him up with Bible verses. Other counselors had tried that. Patrick and I prayed for his wounds, but that did not seem to help very much. When we prayed for his wife’s wounds, she seemed a bit better. As far as I could tell back then, their marriage may have improved a little, but I wasn’t sure. Eventually they stopped coming to see me, and Patrick dropped off of my radar.

Last year Patrick came in to see me again. He didn’t say this, but I believe his wife gave him an ultimatum—get some help, or else . . . He smiled the same smile and quoted the same verses word for word, but he was heavier now, and his hair was grayer. We went over the same childhood stories he had shared with me all those years ago, but this time we found some hopelessness. That was new, but before we got around to working on it, He left me a message, saying, I can’t come in, and dropped off of my radar yet again.

Another year has gone by, and now he is back. This time he is seeking help without his wife directing him. He is being pushed by an inner urgency. I know that we will have to work on the hopelessness this time, and it pops up immediately.

My marriage is never going to get better. I am getting old—there are pauses between each sentence—I don’t want to die without being loved. I exercise every morning and have my devotions. Then at breakfast she looks at me with that face. Perhaps the ensuing pause is for dramatic effect, but it seems he truly cannot put into words what that face tells him day after day.

It’s always that face.

Can you describe it? No answer. What does it tell you?

She hates me—a long pause—She wishes I were not even here—another pause—It kills me every day.

A few short years ago, Patrick tells me, his wife had moved out, and sorrow swept him away. Desperate, he came upon a Bible verse about how God hates divorce and received it as a hopeful message. The two of them started speaking again, over coffee at first, and she soon returned. But the glimmer of hope did not last very long. The same daily routine, the same furious outbursts, and that face returned. Hopelessness gained a prominent place in his heart.

It is too late. At breakfast this morning, we had it out. She said I am broken, broken, broken and will never be fixed—pause—Every week I meet with my pastor for Bible study.

He had mentioned this last year when we had met briefly, so I ask the obvious question: You have been meeting with him for some time—is it helping your marriage?

Barely audible, he whispers, No, while staring at the floor.

I begin speaking enthusiastically about Jesus’ promise to give him a fresh start, but my words are falling on deaf ears. The stronghold is firmly entrenched—he cannot be fixed.

My wife said she was looking through her journals and counted how many counselors she has been to—more than twenty—another pause—She has given up.

Tears well up in his eyes. This is new, but we have only a few minutes left. I want him to find a little hope. I make another attempt to inspire him about having a fresh start with Jesus, saying it would help if he based his entire life on Jesus’ teachings. They are about healing and maturity, as well as a fresh start.

I resist the urge to go into full sermon mode. Still, I want to remain true to what I know about Jesus’ teachings. I know I have to put them into words that can reach a man who has lost all hope.

You may feel like a water balloon that has popped. You’ve given all you have, and there is nothing left.

He scans my eyes, as though he is looking for something. He may be guarding against that face, expecting more disapproval.

Please take Jesus seriously. My face is glowing. He will give you a fresh start, and then he will begin to fill up your emptiness. Welcome him, and he will help you. Let’s pray about it.

Maybe I should be less optimistic. After all, this person has been struggling since he was twelve years old, so why should I believe he will change? Maybe I am the one who is on the wrong path. Yet I must hold on to what I have witnessed. I have seen how God pours his blessing onto those who open up to him. He enters into their struggles and helps them win in the end. Faithfully following Jesus’ life-giving teachings helps people stay on the right path.

Speaking from His Heart

Jesus presented people with gems, from his heart to theirs. His message was freely given treasure, begging to be gathered up, out in the rough Galilean countryside. The young rabbi intrigued his listeners, time and again, placing unforgettable scenes before them—scenes that invited them to enter into his storehouse of wisdom.

The broad road leads to destruction.

A person cannot simply dismiss a statement like that. It intimidates entrenched thinking. Popcorn-like questions riddle those who hear it, all day long and for many days to follow: How can I find the gate to the path that leads to life? What must I do to stay on it? Will it lead to easy street or will it be a punishing passageway? Perhaps life on the broad road is not really so bad, but why can’t I get pictures of a narrow path out of my mind? What if I lose my way? What does Jesus mean by destruction?

Jesus’ words cling to a person’s heart like a newborn baby.

The lilies of the field . . .

Treasures in heaven . . .

Rich toward God . . .

The extra mile . . .

A pearl of great price . . .

Rest for your soul . . .

Living water . . .

Faith like a mustard seed . . .

The yeast of the Pharisees . . .

A millstone around his neck . . .

Born again . . .

Who can proceed with their day as planned with these tantalizing ideas running about in their mind? Jesus’ words invite us to revisit them over and over, urging us to dig deeper.

Living abundantly . . .

Can I even hope for that? Is that where the narrow path will lead?

He who loses his life will find it.

Why did Jesus put it that way? What does he know that I don’t?

Do not treat Jesus’ gems lightly. Teachings so compelling are worth examination, but it will not be enough for you to read a book about Jesus. Reading will do little more than generate a few new thoughts. I would call on you to plunge deeply into Jesus’ teachings and discuss them in a study group. Become his disciple. Devote yourself to his every word. Follow him all day long. Put his teachings to work in your life, moment by moment.

Here is how Jesus painted an unforgettable scene about putting his teachings into practice:

It is not enough if you just hear my words. You must put them into practice. When your life is built on my teachings, it will be like a wise man who built his house on a solid rock. When the rains came, the streams rose, and the winds beat against the house, it did not fall. Just like him, you will withstand any storm if my teachings are your foundation. But if you hear my words and do not put them into practice, that will be like building your house on sinking sand. When the rains come, and the streams rise, the winds will sweep your house away.¹

Commit. Take the plunge. Thoughtfully examine his teachings and let them reach your soul. Find a group where you will be able to discuss them. Build your life on the rock. Then you will be ready for times of struggle.

What do you think will happen if you take this plunge? Giving a little less to Caesar? Looking less often at the speck in your brother’s eye? Storing up treasures in heaven? Dropping some of your baggage in order to squeeze through the narrow gate?

Here is what you can expect: you will be drawn into his kingdom. This is at the center of Jesus’ teaching. He has compassion for us in our mistaken wanderings. His gems are intended to point us toward the narrow path—that is where we will live abundantly.

Being Drawn

Our universe was born, and history was set into motion. Do you ever wonder what existed before that? An eternal reality preceded the dawn of creation. That reality constantly moves alongside history but stays on a parallel track. We do not grasp it easily but are drawn to it nonetheless. It is spiritual, not physical, which is a captivating idea. Our soul seeks spiritual understanding. Sometimes we get a glimpse into that realm.

A nighttime glance into a star-filled sky fleetingly takes us onto that track. A host of unexpected wonders can move us closer to that realm: A spectacular cavern is discovered, adorned with colors and textures never seen by human eyes. A grove of redwoods freezes us in our tracks. A reclusive, yellow salamander slips into a rushing stream on Japan’s highest mountain. A snow leopard scans the Himalayan horizon, ever watchful, ever poised. Brightly colored tropical fish dart along the corridors of their coral labyrinth, surrounded by miles of turquoise seas. Tiny fluorescent frogs blend into a canopy, high above the rain forest floor. Lilies of the field clothe nondescript grass, like a garment even more distinguished than Solomon’s kingly robe.

Taking a deep breath, we return to our place in time. Nonetheless, we remain inspired by our momentary brush with the other realm, and we retain a growing desire to get closer to it. This brief entry into the spiritual world realigns our thinking, and the desire to approach the other reality continues to increase as we get closer to it, much like a room being brightened by a dimmer switch. We want to be caught up by the other realm.

As you begin to study Jesus’ teachings, you will find that he reveals enough about the parallel realm to tempt your appetite. This is what your soul has been seeking. You will be drawn. He will awaken new life within you. You will find yourself living in a reality that carries you above your problems. His presence will transform you so that you may live abundantly, despite your struggles. Your life will flourish in unforeseen ways. You will pass through the gate and begin your journey along the narrow path. Hairpin turns, potholes, detours, and construction zones notwithstanding, you will receive all of the assistance you will need.

Jesus’ Kingdom

You may have heard discussions about this kingdom, finding some of them more interesting than others. Here is a look at what the first four books in the New Testament can contribute to such a discussion. If you wish to know about Jesus, you need to understand his kingdom.

Jesus’ Kingdom in

The Gospel According to John

While putting together his book, John admitted there was so much he could write about Jesus that the whole world would not be able to contain it (John 21:25). Yet, in his gospel, John only quoted Jesus using the word kingdom twice—during Jesus’ trial before Pilate, and to Nicodemus, the ruler who sought his counsel. We will look at the Nicodemus passage shortly, but when we examine what John wrote about the kingdom of God, we should not overlook what Jesus said to Pilate.

Jesus was on trial before Pilate, having been accused of plotting against the Romans. When Pilate asked what he had done, his response was clear enough:

My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm. (John

18

:

36

NASB)

Jesus did not use the word spiritual very often. His answer to Pilate could have easily used that word.