Core Scripture: “The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12)

Message: I love March Madness.  It goes well beyond cheering on my Jayhawks, and sadly the Hawks didn’t live up to their preseason number one expectations this year.  The Big Dance will forge on as Kansas is no longer dancing.  They did the Texas Two Step right out the door, losing to Arkansas 79-72 last night.

The expectations for the Jayhawks were sky high.  As a matter of fact, seven games into the season, KU was undefeated at 7-0 and had already taken out the Duke Blue Devils in a dramatic three-point victory.  Then came the road loss at Creighton, followed immediately by an embarrassing loss to archrival Missouri.  I knew something was awry when they later lost their Big XII opener at home to … (cough, cough) … West Virginia?

Maybe in football but not basketball!  Not in Allen Field House!

I never lost hope.  I kept thinking Bill Self would turn them around, but it just never got going.  They entered the tournament as his worst seed ever, a seven seed that just never lived up to the preseason hype.  Self had recruited tons of talent, but putting all that talent together was anything but easy.  They lacked chemistry.  Their identity was confusing, even to them.  Self tried mixing in plenty of his recruits, but nothing seemed to work.

It was inevitable.  KU was doomed.

I am too optimistic to give up on my team completely.  I tried telling myself that they could get hot and make a final run.  Nope.  Not to be.  Arkansas put the hammer down on KU’s zone defense, going on a 15-5 run to close the game.  The best thing about my night was nothing about basketball; I was most grateful to enjoy watching the game with my folks, enjoying my mom’s delectable homecooked chicken burritos. 

My tummy likey!  Diet starts Monday.

Expectations.  Expectations really mean nothing when you think about it.  Expectations can ruin your mood if they are completely off.  Stuart Kidder is quoted as saying, “Frustration is the result of failed expectations.”  As loyal Jayhawk fans can attest to this statement, I want to go deeper.  Rewind yourself over 2000 years ago.  You are about to get your mind blown by this new preacher named Jesus who has just started His ministry.

Setting the scene a bit, Jesus hadn’t really launched His ministry yet.  He had just been tempted in the desert, baptized by John, and called His first disciples.  No major healings yet.  No calming storms.  And He certainly hadn’t conquered the grave.  All that stuff comes later.  Jesus was a carpenter’s son, meek and humble, yet there He was on a mountainside, beginning His speech that would later be called the Sermon on the Mount.

I wonder what people expected.  Certainly, this guy couldn’t change the world … could He?  You have to admit that we have a slight advantage here already knowing the end of the story.  I mean, if Jesus really meant business, wouldn’t He be giving this sermon in the temple?  Talking to well-educated men like the Pharisees?  Nope.  There He was speaking to the OPPOSITE extreme.

Jesus’ audience crowded around Him.  It was made up of His disciples along with the lowest of low.  Servants.  The poor.  Outcasts.  People who would be frowned upon if they tried to dine with the Pharisees.  These people would be told to leave and put on some cleaner clothes.  As a matter of fact, the Pharisees probably would have not even allowed them in at all.  It would desecrate their room.

Not sure about you, but I smell a March Madness upset!

Jesus doesn’t bother much with an introduction.  He just plows right in with bold statements that turn our world upside down.  Even that much more today.  Listen in …

“One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,[a]

    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

4 God blesses those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

5 God blesses those who are humble,

    for they will inherit the whole earth.

6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,[b]

    for they will be satisfied.

7 God blesses those who are merciful,

    for they will be shown mercy.

8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,

    for they will see God.

9 God blesses those who work for peace,

    for they will be called the children of God.

10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,

    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” (Matthew 5:1-12)

Time to break this bracket—err scripture—down.  Piece by piece.  My Saturday morning men’s group attempted it last weekend.  We didn’t make it past verse 6.  It makes me wonder how far we will get tomorrow when we resume our study. 

Jesus proves He knows His audience in verse 3.  If I was poor and hungry for my next meal, being blessed by God sounds pretty good to me.  The thing is that Jesus proves this to be true later in His ministry when He says he is the bread of life (John 6:35).  The physical fulfillment of hunger is being combined with spiritual fulfillment.

Back to expectations … These people were not expecting Jesus to say this.  I mean, think about it … Who counts themselves blessed to be poor?  It just doesn’t make sense!  Our culture craves wealth, but Jesus is telling us that those who are POOR will receive the kingdom of heaven.  If I am hearing Jesus say this, my ears are now tuned in.  He just rocked my world!  The poor blessed?  I would crave to hear more!

What about the next verse.  I thought it was sad to mourn.  Jesus is calling us blessed if we mourn?  Huh?  So, when I lose my job twice over a two-year period, I am blessed?  When my grandmothers die of cancer one day apart in 1996, I am blessed?  When my brother is critically injured in Iraq, I am blessed?  Sorry, Jesus but I am a bit confused.  How?  Why?

I can hear Jesus now, trying to explain Himself: Clint, you are thinking from a worldly perspective right now, and that is okay, but try to see it MY way.  I work everything for your good just like I promised you in Romans 8:28, and guess what?  My thoughts are not your thoughts.  My ways are far better than anything you could ever imagine (Isaiah 55:8-9).  You just have to trust me.

Ah, yes.  Trust.  My word of the year.  So easy to say.  So hard to do.  Time for a check-in.  Am I trusting Him?  Fully?  I would say I am doing decent here.  There is always room for improvement, and I do trust Him, but I am not going to lie.  I still ask God why.  I still get frustrated knowing I never got the chance to say goodbye to my students.  I miss them greatly.  There are days at Amazon I still wish I were teaching. 

When those thoughts begin to percolate in my head and my anger begins to boil, I tell myself to stop.  I try to live out Philippians 4:8, choosing my own GOOD thoughts that glorify the Lord.  After all, He has given me opportunity after opportunity to minister to others who need to know who Jesus Christ is, and I have shared different versions of my story to at least five people. 

Can we stop there?  How awesome is that?  We are not talking about teaching a novel here.  I mean, I love teaching, but this is saving souls we are talking about here!  This is taking someone who craves that spiritual bread I talked about above and guiding them toward understanding what it is all about.  Guess what?  THAT, my friends, is the best teaching I could ever do.  Amen?

I never expected to be working at Amazon.  But that is okay.  God, I DO trust you!  I am there for a reason, and even if I question it, I see Your plan being worked out.  It is a plan I didn’t anticipate, but I embrace this plan.  You know what is best, and if you want me working the midnight shift there for the time being, so be it!  I will do it for You, God.  It will challenge me, but it will add a new chapter to my story.

What is your story?  How is your story being played out?  What expectations are not being met in your own lives?  I have been in the battlefield of the classroom for 22 glorious years of my life, and I knew there were plenty of expectations, both good and bad, that I will never forget.  Can I list a few?  Well, you don’t get a choice because here they come …

• I never expected to move buildings after my first year of teaching, but the move was just what I needed.
• Students I expected to give me trouble turned out to be phenomenal kids.
• After expecting to lose in football following countless losing seasons, my last season coached in 2013 we went 7-1.
• When a severe depression nearly took my life, I received an unexpected get-well card in the mail with a $75 Visa gift card from my colleagues.
• It was a total shock to be awarded a trip to Atlanta to visit the Ron Clark Academy in October of 2019.
• I went through plenty of administration changes, none of which I saw coming, yet God always worked it out for our good.
• My most memorable group of students was a total shocker, coming right after a group of students that I greatly struggled with.

I could go on, but hey … do I really need to?  You get the point.  It is time to evaluate your expectations.  Are they worldly or are they different?  Are they your expectations or God’s?  One thing that I have realized time and time again is this hard-core truth: God can turn any event—and I mean ANY event—and work it for His good.

Even my Jayhawks losing in the first round for the first time since 2006.

Challenge: Evaluate your expectations.  Are they worldly or godly?  Journal about this or discuss with a group of trusted friends. 

Bible study: Read the core scripture at the top, and answer the following questions …

1. How does our world define great?
2. How does Jesus’ definition differ?
3. How should this philosophy change the way you live your life?

Video application: I have to give credit to where credit is due.  Much of this blog was inspired by watching the sermon from my church this past weekend.  I was blown away!  Check out the message here:

Just for fun: The Duke Blue Devils have long been known for their hard-core fans.  Some may be seen as a bit over the top.  To what extent would you go to distract the opposing team from making a free throw?  Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the answer to that question in the video below.  Behold!  Allow the legend of “Speedo Guy” to spread!  I dare you to click the link below to discover what the heck I am talking about. 

Fun fact … I read in a book once that the Cameron Crazies (Duke fans) got in trouble for yelling an explicative chant during a basketball game.  At their next home game affair, their chant changed to, “We beg to differ!  We beg to differ!” when they disagreed with the referee’s call.

Prayer: Lord, I crave to trust You completely.  Help me toss aside worthless worldly expectations in favor of what You have planned for me.  Amen.