[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fbubbles":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fbubbles-surround":66},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":14,"columnName":48,"date":49,"description":20,"extension":50,"image":51,"meta":52,"minRead":53,"navigation":54,"path":55,"postType":56,"publication":57,"publicationUrl":51,"seo":58,"stem":59,"topics":60,"__hash__":65},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fbubbles.md","Bubbles",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11,12,13],"Matthew","Mark","John","Acts","Galatians",{"type":15,"value":16,"toc":44},"minimark",[17,21,24,27,30,33,36],[18,19,20],"p",{},"There’s nothing more innocent and playful than a child blowing bubbles, but a bubble is a terrible place to live. A bubble of self-limitations can stunt our education, limit our influence, and prevent us from experiencing the breadth of God’s grace. And yet, without intentional effort, a bubble is the place we tend to call home.",[18,22,23],{},"Generational bubbles keep us from connecting with anyone substantially older or younger than ourselves. Socio-economic bubbles wall us off from the poor, the rich, or those from a different side of the tracks. Racial bubbles cause everything from blatant prejudice to casual indifference toward people unlike ourselves. Cultural bubbles make urban-dwellers stereotype country folk (and vice versa) and cause Americans to distrust people from other nations (and vice versa). Religious bubbles lock into denominational prisons those the Lord has called to be free.",[18,25,26],{},"Maybe that’s why Jesus spent a lot of time bursting bubbles. Over and over again, he stuck a sharp pin into the cultural norms common in his day. Stay a safe distance away from lepers? No, Jesus reached out and touched them. Avoid contact with sinners known for their loose morals? No, Jesus’ name was on top of their dinner guest list. Shoo away the little kids so the adults could talk about grown-up stuff? No, Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them. Stay away from Samaritans? No, Jesus befriended the woman at the well and illustrated neighborliness by making the Good Samaritan the hero of his story. Cozy up to the religious leaders? No, Jesus spoke truth to power and aggravated the Pharisees until they wanted him dead.",[18,28,29],{},"When the zealous crowds hoped to make Jesus king by force, the Lord popped their bubble by withdrawing to a mountain where he could be alone (John 6:15). When James and John begged for impressive seats of power, he took the wind out of their self-serving ambitions by reminding them that true greatness means humble service to others (Mark 10:35-45). Jesus surprised his disciples by insisting that the road to salvation had to pass through the misery of betrayal and crucifixion. The nails of the cross poked holes in the popular messianic expectations of Jesus’ day.",[18,31,32],{},"Even after Jesus’ resurrection and the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, the disciples still lived in a bubble created by their own self-imposed limitations. Hadn’t Jesus told them to make disciples and baptize people from all ethnic groups (Matthew 28:19)? Then why did they stay close to home until persecution forced them to scatter and preach God’s Word more widely (Acts 8:4)? In Acts 1:8, hadn’t Jesus instructed them to be his witnesses in an ever-widening circle that encompassed Jerusalem and Judea (familiar territory), Samaria (outside their comfort zone), and the “ends of the earth” (far beyond their own language and culture)? Then why did it take a dramatic vision to convince Peter to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10)? Why did Peter get called on the carpet by his Jewish brothers for visiting the home of Cornelius (Acts 11)? Why did the church have to convene a special counsel in Jerusalem to discuss the doctrinal implications of all those Gentile believers Paul and Barnabas were bringing in (Acts 15)? Why did Paul have to confront Peter for separating himself from his non-Jewish brothers (Galatians 2:11-14)?",[18,34,35],{},"Some bubbles have thick walls. They’re hard to break, but when the bubbles burst and we finally break free, there’s exhilarating new space to explore and fresh air to breathe.",[18,37,38,39,43],{},"What bubbles would the Lord like to burst in ",[40,41,42],"em",{},"your"," life?",{"title":45,"searchDepth":46,"depth":46,"links":47},"",2,[],"Another Look","2010-06-27","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fbubbles","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":20},"articles\u002Fbubbles",[61,62,63,64],"Biblical Theology","Intergenerational Ministry","Church Leadership","Holy Week and Resurrection","a4V4RDosK_597KNiM3Gnqk0PyFvPSOQK-XRioaw0WcY",[67,72],{"title":68,"path":69,"stem":70,"description":71,"children":-1},"Bring It to Me","\u002Farticles\u002Fbring-it-to-me","articles\u002Fbring-it-to-me","Jesus’ disciples didn’t know what to do, and the problem seemed insurmountable. Thousands of hungry people needed food, and there were no restaurants or grocery stores nearby. As evening approached and the sun began to set, the disciples concluded the only solution was to send the crowds away to fend for themselves. But Jesus said, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16, *New International Version*).",{"title":73,"path":74,"stem":75,"description":76,"children":-1},"But As for You","\u002Farticles\u002Fbut-as-for-you","articles\u002Fbut-as-for-you","As our society drifts farther from God, what will it be like 10 years from now? Thirty years from now? How can young people be faithful to God when they grow up in a cultural cesspool? It’s tough out there. “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). How many teens or young adults want to sign up for that?"]