We're Not Hungry Enough

This morning I shared the story of William Tyndale with our congregation. This amazing young man had earned advanced degrees from Oxford and mastered 8 languages by the time he set out to become the first to translate the Greek New Testament into English. Because the leaders of the Church were bitterly opposed to an English translation, Tyndale was forced into hiding as a fugitive. So while fleeing from house to house and one country to another, he somehow managed to achieve his ambition: an excellent English translation of the Greek New Testament and most of the Hebrew Old Testament. His work was accurate, lyrical and memorable for the common men and women.

As you may know, Tyndale's quest cost him much more than the comforts of life in the mainstream. He never enjoyed the bliss of wife or children. He never enjoyed the security of his own home. He missed most of the world's tourist locations. And he ultimate lost his life. In 1536, he was strangled and then burned at the stake for his crime of "laying the Holy Scriptures open and naked before the unwashed masses."

When the King James Version was authorized just about 70 years later, the translators used Tyndale's vocabulary almost entirely. In fact, until very recently, virtually every English translation of the Bible contained heavy percentages of English words selected by Tyndale. He actually coined certain terms like Passover, scapegoat, and atonement.

But here's the question we sometimes ask in response to stories like this one: what made these gigantic figures of faith like Tyndale so different? Why are their lives able to leap across the barriers of space, time and culture to inspire and bless generations like our own hundreds of years later?

Some would say their faith was greater. But in fact, Christ constantly diminishes the significance of size in regard to faith. A mere mustard seed of faith can vanquish unthinkable obstacles.

Some would insist that their courage was greater. The saints of earlier generation were absolutely fearless. But in fact, courage is simply the ability to disregard one's fears for the moments. Today, you and I seem to have very few fears to conquer- except for the possible fear of rejection by others. Our tiny fears are not the issue.

I have come to believe that heroes like Tyndale were different from you and me only because they're appetites were greater. They yearned for more than self-fulfillment and the latest toy for their collections of things. No, the great ones of earlier generations were focused on the glory of God and the needs of others. That focus made all the difference.

Tyndale knew that his effort to translate the Bible could cost him everything and yet still he persisted. Don't miss the fact that he didn't need to do this for his own spiritual health- he could read Greek, Hebrew and Latin. All the words of Scripture were available to him in legal languages which he could understand. He could have read them in safety for the rest of his life. And he could have quoted them to others with no risk to himself.

But Tyndale wanted more than comfort and self-fulfillment. He wanted to honor the Lord Jesus Christ and offer a timeless gift to all posterity. He wanted a Bible others could read and embody. So he laid everything on the line and went for the gold. We are all the better for his sacrifice.

You and I would all do well to remember William Tyndale on days when we complain that we have been treated unfairly, or that our financial burdens are so stressful that we can scarcely go on. The problem with us Post-moderns is not the size of our bank accounts or the stressful nature so many consumer decisions. As C.S. Lewis once opined, our desires are not too large: they are too small. So we settle for the joy of making pud pies in a ghetto because we cannot imagine the pleasure of an ocean cruise. And so we miss the adventure of faith, and the impact of living among the great ones.

On the gallows, Tyndale prayed that God would open the eyes of the King of England. Indeed, may he open ours as well.

Jezebel's Powder Room

The Harris Poll recently discovered that when American's are asked to name their favorite book, the Bible is their overwhelming first choice. Researchers were surprised to find that #2 varies from one demographic group to another and includes favorites like Gone with the Wind or The Lord of the Rings. But across all demographic groups- political party, race, sex, educational level, etc- the Bible is far and away #1. The Harris people explain that in no other area can one find such universal consensus among Americans!

It's no wonder, of course. The Bible points us to our Creator God. It meets our deepest needs. It informs our decisions and it comforts us when we are in despair. And unlike any other "inspirational" book, it just has the ring of truth!

Here's a great example: quirky but true. After years of instigating violence and corruption, King Ahab's wicked wife Jezebel was finally called on the carpet. Her influence was fading, her defenders were melting away, and she learned that Jehu, the leader of the rebel forces, was just arriving in town. At this point, 2 Kings 9:30 comments, "When Jezebel heard this, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair, and looked out of a window." Two verses later she was thrown to her death on the pavement below.

Four years ago, a Harvard University team of archaeologists announced they had discovered the ruins of Ahab's royal palace in Samaria. Not surprisingly, they found evidence of a lavish lifestyle. The walls of one chamber were apparently covered in ivory. And there among the rooms and corridors once haunted by the evil queen, the team actually found her make up kit. Among the pottery shards and objects from everyday life were tiny containers lined with coal dust for black accents, turquoise for green, and ochre for red. There were even tiny holes in the lid for use in mixing the colors. The Bible's characterization was spot on- exactly right!

That's just one tiny example of the Truth we constantly experience when we read God's Word. It's a book for the ages, but it's also a book for today. Wise people read it every day.

When He Calls Your Name

I've been reading about William Tyndale, a brilliant young man who became an outlaw and literally gave his life to translate the Bible into English. Today most Christians have no idea what he did for us, even though modern translations often use his word choices from 1530! In a world where everyone wants 15 minutes of fame, five hundred years is a long time to celebrate anybody.

Pay the price, sacrifice, give your life, but don't expect your fellow earthlings to remember your labor of love. We all forget a lot more than we remember, and history books go out of print every year. In Washington DC, they're having to remove statues of forgotten heroes to make room for this decade's patriots.

But here's the great news: the One who matters most never forgets!

• 1500 years before Jesus, two women named Shiphrah and Puah helped rescue little Hebrew boys from death. History forgot, but God wrote their names in the Bible.
• Bezalel and Oholiab were craftsmen whose skill and love for God uniquely qualified them to construct the first Tabernacle and all its furnishings. They lovingly fashioned the Ark of the Covenant with a mercy seat of pure gold. The world forgot, but the Father remembered.
• The same is true for all those people listed in those endless geneologies scattered through the Bible. We have no idea what many of those people ever did for God, but He still delights in their names.

Ray Bolz inspired us all with that great song "Thank You (For Giving to the Lord.)" It really is fun to try and imagine how little ministries here might have a big impact in Heaven someday. And wouldn't it be fun to walk down the streets of Heaven and be thronged by people who were blessed by your life? Well, don't get your hopes up. The song is great, but memories are short.

Matthew 25 reminds us that no matter how many people forget, Jesus will remember the times we offered food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, rest to the weary. He will remember the deed because He knows you by name. The privilege of making Him smile will be worth it all.