Our Guest John Burke
JOHN: Imagine if you were outside the Hermitage Museum, and there in the dumpster, in a trash dumpster, you see this masterpiece. But it’s covered in mud. It’s stained. Its torn.
DONNA: Uh-huh.
JOHN: Would you treat it like mud? You know? Would you treat it like trash? Or would we be able to realize, No. This is still worth millions of dollars –
DONNA: Beyond the mud.
JOHN: Underneath the mud.
DONNA: Yes.
JOHN: And we need to gently take it to a master who can restore it to its original value.
DONNA: Aww. Yeah.
JOHN: I think the reality is, we all could see the masterpiece under the mud in that painting.
DONNA: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
JOHN: So the question is, can we see the masterpiece under the mud in every person?
DONNA: Yeah.
JOHN: Created in the image of God for good things. You know, Ephesians 2:8-10 says, For it was by grace that we’ve been saved (set right with God) through faith; its a gift from God. And then it goes on in verse 10 and says, For we are Gods masterpiece.
DONNA: Yes.
JOHN: His work of art. And that was true. He saw that in us when He died for us, you know, thousands of years ago, so He must see it in those who have not yet come to faith. So the question is, can we see that masterpiece, or do we just see the mud?
DONNA: Ooh.
JOHN: I’m convinced Jesus saw the masterpiece and called that out in people. Whereas the Pharisees just saw the mud, and that affected the way people responded.
DONNA: Right. And that’s what you teach about restoring value.
JOHN: Exactly.
DONNA: You teach your folks about restoring value. What if the masterpiece no longer felt like a masterpiece, because of all the mud?
JOHN: Well
DONNA: Of all the things that people could not see, the potential of what it really was. I mean, how does that affect the people themselves?
JOHN: Absolutely. And I think that’s what keeps people running from God rather than turning to Him. And, of course, the evil blinds us and makes us think that you know, Gods against us and out to condemn us. And until you can get your act together you can’t turn to Him. But, of course, then we stay stuck. It’s only in turning to Him, that He’s the one who restores us.
DONNA: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
JOHN: It’s by His Spirit that we’re restored. And you see this in Jesus, like Luke chapter 7. Remember Jesus is invited by Simon the Pharisee into his home. Right?
DONNA: Yes.
JOHN: You know, Simon was actually there to judge Jesus.
DONNA: Uh-huh
JOHN: This immoral woman comes in, and, I mean, Luke mentions shes known for her immorality. You know? So her sexual sin, her mud is known in the town.
DONNA: Right. Seen very clearly.
JOHN: Seen very clearly. And, you know, she breaks down crying, I think because she had heard Jesus is there. There is hope for people like me.
DSC: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
JOHN: Somehow her friends told her, and she would go into this Pharisees home, the people who condemn her because there’s hope. She starts to cry. She wipes Jesus feet with her hair. She anoints His feet with oil. And Simon looks with contempt in his eyes, and says, If Jesus were really from God if He were really a prophet, He would know what kind of woman this is.
DONNA: Oh. Oh. Yeah.
