"Really, Jesus, really...?"

"You can't really mean that? Can you? Really...mean THAT?"

Yep! He means it!

"We know you are a man of integrity...." began the church leaders, as they tried to trick Jesus with a question about how to live in the society at that time. "You are not swayed by men because you pay no attention to who they are." (Matthew 22: 16) "So tell us then, what is your opinion...." and they go on to ask about paying taxes.

Paying taxes doesn't top the list of fun activities for anyone-- then or now. In Jesus' time, Caesar was in charge of the Roman Empire and everyone had to "render unto Caesar" or pay the consequences! To make matters worse, some of the government employees cheated and charged even more to line their own pockets. And the Jews didn't even run their own country--at least not politically.

And how does Jesus answer? I bet you know. He tells the church leaders to pay Caesar what is owed to him and his government, but don't forget to also give God what is His. Clever Jesus! He didn't fall into the trap of politics or government, but neither did He leave out the other part!

And we respond as those folks in His day probably did--"Really, Jesus, really?"

Nobody wanted to pay taxes, especially extra taxes. But did anyone really pause to think about the other part? The Gospel of Matthew's author, Matthew himself was a wealthy tax collector, but he also understood the part about giving God what was God's. He, Matthew, was God's and he gave up the prestige and position of a government official to become simply a humble follower of Jesus of Nazareth. Sounds lofty now, but who really knew who Jesus was then? No 24-hour news channels, blogs, or Tweets. And, Matthew hosted Jesus at his own home inviting the other despised tax collectors and Wall Street types, the other "sinners" that church officials criticized Jesus for dining with. The unclean.

What can the 'everyday Christian' learn from this that isn't already clear? Pay your taxes. That's not the point. The point is that we are to give to God what is His! A sermon on tithing? Now today. Don't look down on sinners, because you are one, too? We know that even though we don't act like it sometimes.

It's the man of integrity thing that strikes me as a new lesson all together. The church leaders defined man of integrity as one who isn't "swayed by men"; a man who "pays no attention to who" someone is or is not by our earthly standards.

Integrity is determined by what is on the inside; how we act when no one will know or see.

"In my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever." Psalm 41

Do we earn salvation and protection? Quid pro quo? No. Integrity is, or should be, our heart condition. Righteousness comes through grace from God alone. Godly integrity knows what to do and apologizes when falling short. How many of us, even Christians, yearn to be people of integrity as Scripture defines it? We are called to be like Jesus. Now there truly was a man of integrity. Even the blind Pharisees could tell, they just weren't men of integrity themselves.

So....."yes, Jesus, really!" Train my heart, increase my faith, equip me to be Your man or woman of integrity, because I owe my life to You.

" 60 Eyes"

.........not really 60 eyes, but eyes that have been seeing for 60 years. Now before everyone under the age of 30 stops reading, let me just say that I am not one of those old folks who claims to be wiser. Nor am I a "red hat" purple wearing left over hippie as I might justifiably be, given the times I grew up in. I claim no extra knowledge or pretension of having a right to tell others what to do or how to live. After all it was my generation in the '60's that told everyone (and told them loudly and in technicolor) that everyone was free to be themselves. "The man" no longer has the right to tell us what to do or how to live. Politics, civil rights, women's liberation, the beginning of gay pride......all began to bloom in those days. Ah, those days.........

.........so now, having come of age in the 60's, I find myself 60. What have I seen or heard that I can learn from. What can I hold onto? While we put more and more trust into 'authorities', 'spokesmen', and 'commentators'; what is real and what is just another guy writing on Wikipedia?

........lest you think that this has nothing to do with integrity, my theme, I think it does. We are influenced by our environment as well information and ideas specifically taught. Having spent over 35 years in education as well as time in the business arena, I am well aware that the mix between those influences varies. As the hippies were 'contemplating their navels' and ancient philosophers were seeking sense and purpose in the universe, so the search goes on.

........my point really is that until you know what you believe and use that knowledge to live, you are lost. Are you examining what you believe? Do you care? More importantly, start measuring your actions against what you think you believe. Do your actions match what you claim you believe? Hmmmmmm.........It should, shouldn't it?

"Test the Heart...."

"Test"..."heart"....words used so frequently in our modern society, yet what do they mean. The heart implies a romantic concept, emotional. Tests are academic, cognitive. What could it possibly mean to "test the heart"? Are we insuring that we really love someone before we form a union with them? Are we measuring the amount of knowledge or skill we have acquired? Does society care?

As we Americans have relaxed our standards in many areas of life, some ideas take on new meaning....or should I say lose meaning.

As we adjust admission standards to college and give out trophies of "participation" regardless of record, we diminish tests. As we redefine love and the various arrangements and permissions that "being in love" include, are we strengthening our society--ourselves? Are we offering more access, or are we taking away the soul of commitment and achievement?

In a spiritual sense, the Bible tells us "I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity". ( I Chronicles 29: 17) Are we a religious people? If you claim to be religious, how do you define what God considers integrity...what God considers appropriate 'heart attitudes'?

The American way is to decide for yourself. So, let's examine integrity and the tests that life holds for us today. Let's see what lies in our hearts and then test our character--corporately and individually. The journey to "find yourself" has always been preeminent in the human search for meaning. I would propose that no one even is looking anymore.