Monthly Archives: July 2013
The Problem with Leadership…
Devotional/Discussion Thought of the Day:
I urge the elders among you, as a fellow-elder myself and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and as one who is to have a share in the glory that is to be revealed: 2 give a shepherd’s care to the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, as God wants; not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. 3 Do not lord it over the group which is in your charge, but be an example for the flock. 4 When the chief shepherd appears, you will be given the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4 (NJB) 1
Many false apostles, in spite of themselves, do good to the masses, to the people, through the very power of the doctrine of Jesus which they preach—even though they don’t practice it. But this good does not compensate for the enormous and very real harm they do by killing the souls of leaders, of apostles, who turn away in disgust from those who don’t practice what they preach. That’s why such men and women, if they are not willing to live an upright life, should never push themselves forward as leaders. (1)
Tomorrow morning, before even life gets up, I will get on an airplane and head to my denominations convention, a three year event to do the business of the church. I dread it, for there are forces at play that are well described in St. Josemaria’s words. That don’t care for the flock, or its leaders, and they see themselves as not just leaders, but the only authority on what it means to be Lutheran or for that matter, Christian. It is more than sad.
But that brings up a question, how are we to deal with leaders described in the quote from St. Josemaria? Do we simply not listen to them, and do what is right in our hearts, according to our own
Martin Luther, author of the text of Christ lag in Todes Banden, and who, with Johann Walter, also wrote the melody (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
internal clocks? Do we call for their resignations, or if they don’t, we try to remove them? Or do we call them to repentance and rejoice when they do. In a large group – how is it best dealt with, not just for our good, or theirs, but for the good of God’s kingdom?
More importantly, can we realize that it is ultimately God that is in charge, and if this is a season of pruning or oppression, God will use it to bless us? A great example of this is Luther of course, who was forced into a nearly monastic hiding arrangement, yet came out of it with even a greater appreciation for our life in Christ, having translated the New Testament into German. Can we avoid the real harm which some would do, can we endure the disgust and minister to those around us, pointing them to Christ, and the reason we have hope?
In such times – the cry is simple… Lord, Have Mercy!
and not just rely on it, but trust completely in His provision.
Godspeed!
(1)Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 1024-1028). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
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Why Suffering Can Lead us to Christ…..
English: Apostle Paul in the apse (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Devotional Thought of the Day:
As I went over our passage for Bible Study tonight, II Corinthians 1, the comfort and strength God gives so supported Paul the Apostle. He was convinced of it, as was many in scripture from Job to David, to John on Patmos. here is part of the verses we shall look at
8 …The burdens laid upon us were so great and so heavy that we gave up all hope of staying alive. 9 We felt that the death sentence had been passed on us. But this happened so that we should rely, not on ourselves, but only on God, who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (TEV)
Now, I am one of those who hates being discomforted – even if it’s just pricking my finger to check my blood sugar. But it seems I have to face challenge after challenge these days. Or worse, I have to watch people I care for endure them. That really… well. sucks…
Yet, I’ve learned that as we take on the challenges, whether they are external afflictions like Paul endured in Acts 17 &18, or those endured by those who penned hymns like “It is Well”, “A Mighty Fortress”, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”, or “Amazing Grace” ( or anything by Casting Crowns) we find ourselves face to face with God. And that is when these times turn to blessings.
It’s not that God wants us to need Him that desperately, it simply is, He will be there when we need Him. I wish to God that our trials never get that bad (even though some of the stuff I’ve been through recently makes me wonder) but I cannot doubt that He is here, and He will be there…
He is Yahweh – the I AM, and Immanu-EL – the God who is here.
Even if we, in despair, give up all hope, wonder why life is the way it is…
THere is time to be still, and find ourselves praising the God who is with us… for He is with us… and that changes everything. Including us!
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Becoming Like Christ…. How it Happens:
Devotion/Discussion Thought of the Day:
17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NLT)
There is an old adage that says, “birds of a feather, flock together…”
It’s true, and its trite in many ways. Who we spend our lives with, the time we invest with them, changes us dramatically.
Negatively, we call it succumbing to peer pressure. Positively it is the encouragement that we call communion, fellowship, koinonia.
It’s true spiritually as well. We don’t become more like Christ through our actions, through our thoughts, even through our discipline. We are not made holy by our actions.
But we do become more holy, more sanctified, more set apart as Christ is, because we are gathered into His flock, we become like Him. We learn to love as He does, to sacrifice as He does.
Not because of our work, but because of God’s work in us, as He called nad baptised and cleansed us – the very promises that have been there since the beginning.
This is what Paul is talking about – we Christ is revealed to us, we are transformed – His work in us begins, we are given His heart.
Such is the blessing of His being our God.
You want to become holier? Be like Mary, not Martha – don’t try and make yourself perfect for God – sit there, adore Him, be still and know HIm…. and then… reflecting His glory where you are…where He has placed you.. you will find yourself thinking as He does… and more importantly – loving as He does.
Some Advice for Surviving Mondays at Work
English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Devotional/Discussion Thought of the Day:
5 Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. 6 Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. 7 And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God. 8 Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free. 9 Masters, it’s the same with you. No abuse, please, and no threats. You and your servants are both under the same Master in heaven. He makes no distinction between you and them. Ephesians 6:5-9 (MSG)
When I made you a present of that Life of Jesus, I wrote in it this inscription: “May you seek Christ. May you find Christ. May you love Christ.” These are three very distinct steps. Have you at least tried to live the first one?
At first, the scripture passage from Ephesians and the quote from Josemaria may seem dissonant, or at least unrelated.
But as I consider this particular Monday morning, they resonate completely.
It is easy, as an employee or the boss, to view our work from what benefits me, that its all about me getting done what I need to get done. We will do a good job at work, but only if we get the wage we feel we deserve. We wil only work as a team, if we get our reward for the job well done, and not the blame when others on the team fail to work hard enough to get the team’s goal accomplished. If we are the boss, it’s easy to expect people to go beyond the average and do their best – without our having to invest ourselves in them.
The answer to being a good boss, or a good employee (and some of us are called to be both) lies not in ourselves. It is found in Christ, it has to be, we have to trust Him. For the one who believes and trusts in Christ – this is our core value. This relationship with God is how we define ourselves. It is what gives us the strength to both know the truth, and to be honest about it. Without knowing this, how can we address our own faults, be honest and work sacrificially, and in th best interests of those around us? How can we find the humility to serve, and the strength and patience to work through things.
It is only in trusting Christ, it is only in seeking first His mastery, His reign, His Kingdom, that this can happen. It is only realizing that He is the one we answer to in life – and that His standards are far different and far higher than our own, or those of our earthly bosses.
Look at Christ – the best of servants – who gave up everything not for His own success, but for the success of those who failed the Boss. Look at Christ the Boss, who trained His servants to the point they were willing to die to achieve that which Christ wanted – the reconciliation of the world.
Believers – seek Him first, find yourself in His presence! Know His love for you…. and work with Him by your side…
Godspeed this Monday.
Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 966-968). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
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I Am the Lord Your God!
Cross & Clouds (Photo credit: John H Wright Photo)
I Am The Lord Your God!
Lev. 18:-1-5, 19:9-18
† In Jesus Name †
May you always thank the Father, as filled with His joy, your find yourselves filled with all His glorious power, and having all the endurance and patience you need in your lives today!
It’s Not as Heavy A Burden as we Think!
At first glance, the Old Testament reading reminds me of my trainer at the gym. Every time I think I am working with the right amount of weight, he’ll walk over and add 10 or 20 pounds, and I will have to really push myself to get another set completed. Even as I dislike it when he adds the 10 pounds, the reason I have a trainer is to make sure I get the most out of my working out – so that I become healthier and stronger.
Often, our first reaction to lists of commandments like this is similar to a work out – we know we are going to struggle, we know we are going to be pushed past what we think our breaking point is. We get anxious knowing we are going to be faced with failure, like when I try to bench press 60 pounds, we just give up. The same thing here – how many commandments can we focus on at once, how will we grow spiritually and fulfill each of them?
It is easy to look at what God expects out of us, and look at the burden and wonder how Jesus expects us to be as perfect as He is.
What we are going to look at this morning, in both church and Bible study is this idea that the burden is too big, that it is too heavy, that we cannot live as God calls us to live. The illusion we are only sinners, those who fail God. Really, the burden is not too much and we can be described as Paul describes the church in Colossae.
…The way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. (Colossians 1:11b)
So let’s look at this list of commands, and consider whether it is a burden to obey these commandments….and walk in this life.
A Challenging List!
God makes it clear that His standard goes beyond that of the world. It’s not just their behaviors we aren’t to follow, the very laws they established were not reflective of God’s standard. Sounds familiar, yes?
What is legal in the law of the Egyptians and Canaanites and for us according to the Supreme Court isn’t beneficial or proper for us, according to God. We can’t say to God, we didn’t hear your laws, or we chose to do what is appropriate here. His desire for us is to for life to be lived to its fullest, not just to make do. We are called to live life in a way that Jesus did, valuing what He did, serving those He would serve, sacrificing things we want, and knowing that what He has in store for us is so much more fulfilling!
Look at the “commands”, look at the way God commissions us to live.
God’s law is all about caring for our neighbors, nor matter their race, their religion, their role in society, whether they are in LA or the OC or Cambodia. That is the bottom line at every one of these commandments.
It starts with the “law” of leaving part of what is ours provide for others. God asks us to give part of what is ours by right, to help those who have nothing, the poor and the stranger – or in other translations, the alien – literally those “not of our people” or “the one who doesn’t belong”. We are to care for them, to help provide for them – whether the government is involved… or not.
The list moves on to not cheating others, not deceiving, slandering, or exploiting them. Luther would add that this obligates us to care for them, and their property. Remember, sin is disobedience! It is walking away from God’s plan in our thoughts, words, or deed – and that includes what we fail to think, fail to say, and fail to do. Again – God’s desire isn’t just about not harming them, but caring about them, even as God cares for us. God’s love in action, through us.
We see this as well in not mocking or cursing the deaf, or tripping up the blind – whether they are deaf and blind physically – or spiritually. Our actions should be that which help – and comfort and guide those, not give them reason to hate us.
Caring for them goes to the extent of our not allowing resentment to build in our hearts! If we do, how can we love each other, or prove that love in the way we care for each other? We are called to carefully reprove those who sin, in such a way that reconciliation can occur. It should go without saying, but sin isn’t any more individual than grace and faith are – and it is a sign of our love for our neighbor that we would carefully try to deliver them from their sin – even as Christ has done for us….
This is the way of life God that has commissioned, this is the way of life that He desires us to live and treasure. It is easily summed up as the young man and Jesus talked about… loving your neighbor as yourself… and Jesus will remind the young teacher – that our neighbor is simply the one in need…
What we’ve got to remember He’s Yhwh
That is what God has commissioned our lives to be – lives invested in each other, and in those who are broken in this world, that our love for them would bring healing and hope – even as we are found in Christ – and are finding healing there for our sin-caused wounds.
Which would be a struggle, an incredible burden except for one thing. The nature and character of God. You see, He will not give us a burden we can’t carry, In the midst of this passage, we are reminded constantly of who He is, for that very purpose!
I chose the NJB translation for that reason this morning for our reading. I’ve mentioned it before – when the Bible spells our LORD in all capitals – it is not the word for Lord or Master or King in scripture. In fact, it’s somewhat the opposite – it’s God’s personal name… Yahweh/Jehovah. Translated it is “I AM” and it reminds us of God’s power but even more, His presence in our lives. For He “is” and that means He is here.. with us.
Knowing that is the key to understanding all of the passages of scripture where God lays out how our lives are to be lived. Nine times in this passage, God reminds us of Who He is, not with titles that we see in Scripture – like, “God of heaven’s armies” or God on High, but rather His name. Reminding us of what He desires most – for us to so trust in Him that we call on His name – that we realize that He is our God! He is with us.
This is what the cross is all about! It isn’t just about forgiving our sins, though indeed that is where they were paid for. It’s about getting rid of the things that stand in the way of our calling on His name, Jesus living the way He did, being crucified and raised from the dead – it’s all about His restoring us to the Father, sharing with us their glory, as their love envelopes all of us.
Which is why this way God commissions us to live is not about rules and obligations, as much as it is the natural outcome of our relationship with Him. This relationship, as we walk with Him, as we realize He is our God, results in a change in us, as we begin to love as He does. Our priorities change, not by our strength or character, but by living in His presence and knowing His mercy.
That is why I said this list is not a burden, The more we dwell in Him, the more we are conscious of the fact that He is Yhwh, the more we are sure that He is here, the more we find ourselves changed – the more we find out that we begin to live in this way.
For we find, in His presence, we dwell in His peace…a peace beyond all comprehension, for He guards as a great treasure, our hearts and minds.
AMEN!
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Why I don’t hate “religion”, because it is His One, holy, catholic/christian and apostolic church
English: Baptism of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
But this is the meaning and substance of this addition: I believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ, called together by the Holy Ghost in one faith, one mind, and understanding, with manifold gifts, yet agreeing in love, without sects or schisms. I am also a part and member of the same a sharer and joint owner of all the goods it possesses, brought to it and incorporated into it by the Holy Ghost by having heard and continuing to hear the Word of God, which is the beginning of entering it. (1)
The Large Catechism of Martin Luther.
385 Our Lord says: “A new commandment I give you: that you love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples.” And Saint Paul: “Bear each other’s burdens, and thus you shall fulfill the law of Christ.” I have nothing to add. (2)
I was reading the other day about someone who was making a case for a “personal relationship” with Jesus Christ. A little later a friend sent me a question about the protestant church, and their view of faith being individual, compared to the “one holy catholic and apostolic church”. I thought it through and sent him some thoughts about it, tracing it back past the Enlightenment to Zwingli and his attitudes towards the Lord’s Supper and the miraculous. Putting the two together this morning, plus preparing to head to St Louis for my denominations convention, has me thinking about our faith a lot, and how scriptures expresses it – corporately.
You can’t really come up with a “personal faith” in Christ, nor for that matter a personal relationship with Him. The easiest way to see this is to start with the Trinity. To have a relationship with Jesus, means we have a relationship with the Father, whom Christ brings us to, and with the Holy Spirit, who is sent to us, by the Father and the Son. The Spirit brings us deeper into that relationship with the Father and Son, testifying of Them, showing you Their glory, reminding us of the presence of God in our life, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That’s why we baptize in Their Name.
If we can accept the relationship with the Trinity, then we have to realize that as They work in our lives as individuals, they are drawing us into a relationship with each other. It is inevitable, it is our very hope, to share in their glory, to know Christ is in us, but that means us. That means we are all enveloped in Him, we are united to Him, and therefore each other. This is why Escriva says he doesn’t have to add anything to what Jesus commissions us to be, what Paul describes and encourages us to be. Religion is nothing more than a way to classify this relationship, to describe the actions that take place because of it, for to be united to Christ results in our fulfilling the law of Chirst.
Which is why, united to Christ from our very baptism, from the very work of the Holy Spirit calling us to faith and repentance, we learn to love each other! It is part of being drawn into the love of Christ for us, for the Father. It isn’t our decision or desire to love, it is part of the very nature of God – the Triune God, who is working in our life. It is part of our spiritual DNA – our heritage as those called into a relationship with God. He makes us One! He causes us to love, to serve, to think of others before we think of ourselves. For that is who He is, and as He unites us to Him, as we look to Him, the Spirit is drawing us to this, forgiving, reconciling, redeeming and causing us to share in this life of Christ.
So go in peace, to love God, and therefore each other.
(1) The Large Catechism of Martin Luther.
(2) Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 973-975). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
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What do we invest our money in? What about our Time?
The Passage of Time (Photo credit: ToniVC)
16 Then he told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. 17 He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ 18 Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, 19 and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’ 20 “Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’ 21 “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.” Luke 12:16-21 (MSG)
People engaged in worldly business say that time is money. That means little to me. For us who are engaged in the business of souls, time is glory! (1)
It seems we live in a world that concentrates on the here and now, and that now is imitated by the church. Back in the ’80’s,w e called this the Tyranny of the Urgent.
I think it has gotten worse, and we rarely, if ever, look to the long run, whether in how we invest our money, or something even more precious, our time. We want thee quickest turn around The quickest route to healing and recovery, and we will settle for far less than God has promised. Heck – do we even bother to consider the long range outcomes anymore, or do we just react to everything that is happening, to focused on “this moment” and what has to be accomplished?
What would happen if we did pay attention to our future? How would it change how we spend our time, our money, our lives? Would we give more time spent in God’s presence? Would we spnd time – not questioning those mysteries He hasn’t revealed to us, but simply being amazed by the truth of them? Would we consider our careers differently? Would we see what we do with our spare time differently?
Josemaria Escriva said, “time is glory”. The more I read that, the more I realize it is true. Because time, our time, has been revealed to be spent in the presence of God. God promises to never leave s, has promised to be very patient with us. Do we realize the time spent in His presence is spent in His glory – even if we cannot see it revealed clearly as it will be in heaven?
I think this is the biggest difference maker, to know God’s presence, to revel in it – to value and cherish it. To even be a little defensive of those times – until we realize how to integrate them into our blessed lives and walk with God.
So take a afternoon – find a quiet place – and think it through – what takes your time, how is it invested..
Then figure out how to spend it, knowing that you are in the presence of God!
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 904-906). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
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Patience, Professors, Persevering, and the Plan of God.
education (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)
10 You’ve been a good apprentice to me, a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction, faith, steadiness, love, patience, 11 troubles, sufferings—suffering along with me in all the grief I had to put up with in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. And you also well know that God rescued me! 12 Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it. 2 Timothy 3:10-12 (MSG)
Study. Study in earnest. If you are to be salt and light, you need knowledge, capability. Or do you imagine that an idle and lazy life will entitle you to receive infused knowledge? (1)
Recently, I chose to return to school. I have to admit some trepidation over this, I’ve never been the one to fit into most educational systems, I don’t care about the what as much as why, and that gets me in trouble at times.
My first class, two weeks in, I am struggling with the texts, and the line of thought which doesn’t going directly to the stated purpose of the course, or for that matter, to the reason I challenged and entered this program. As I was thinking last night – do I challenge the professor? Do I just drop out? Or do I trust God who opened this door, and dedicate the work to God, who makes it all possible?
The latter will be tough, it will challenge me in a way I do not like – it challenges my intellectual pride and my apathy when it comes to education without clear cut meaning. But that is perhaps where I need to be challenged the most – to do things in a disciplined way even though I don’t see the logic or reasoning. I’ve got to go through the motions, but seeing them, not just as make work, but rather as part of His plan.
We need to do this as followers of Christ as well. Maybe we don’t get why we go through the motions of liturgy, or why it is beneficial to go to Bible Study as well Sunday Church. We don’t get yet, why communion is so critical to our faith and our need to commune as often as possible. It may take some time to realize how precious the work of God is, when He baptizes a baby, or a 94 year old lady. We may know the Bible passages – we may be able to argue it intellectually, but there is something in the process of grasping the why… that takes it to a whole different level, that of our soul. That of instinctual trust, that of Christ transforming us, as we look to Him for the strength to do that which challenges us.
So pray for me inmy studies, that I could dedicate them to God, and do well… and pray for us all, as we struggle with God’s plan, not seeing His hand in it, but finding the strrength to persevere, because He is here.
Lord Have Mercy we pray!
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 868-870). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
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Meditating on God’s Love
10 “Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God, supreme among the nations, supreme over the world.” 11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Psalm 46:10-11 (TEV)
8 Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. 9 But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. 10 I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (TEV)
A little diversion! You’ve got to have a change! So you open your eyes wide to let in images of things, or you squint because you’re nearsighted! Close them altogether! Have interior life, and you’ll see the wonders of a better world, a new world with undreamed-of color and perspective … and you’ll draw close to God. You’ll feel your weaknesses; and you’ll become more God-like…with a godliness that will make you more of a brother to your fellow men by bringing you closer to your Father. (1)
Yesterday, my sermon was on one of those passages that requires us, not just to hear it and go -“Okay”, but one that goes deeper. One that calls us to really stop, and think through the depth of the image that is revealed to us in scripture.
It is the reason that we know God, it is the very concept that underlies why there was an incarnation, why there were miracles and sermons on mountains and from boats a little off shore. It gives us a glimpse at the height and depth and breadth of width of God’s loves, revealed to us in Christ. Probably one of the greatest pictures in scripture of our relationship with God is that in Isaiah 66:10-14 – of the joy and intimacy between a mother feeding her infant. Such is our relationship with God.
But I think there is a need to do more than just hear the words and then go about our day. For the thought passes quickly, even for those who spent a week processing the concept, and trying to put into words this love of God. Phone calls, drop in visitors, the trauma’s that occur, and the victories ( like getting a email from my worship minister who is in Cambodia teaching a course for some 200 pastors!), or the challenges of taking a Doctoral level course in preaching from the Old Testament (where the above verses came into play!)
I think we need to take more than a moment thinking deeply about the meaning of such wondrous descriptions of God’s love for us! I think we need to savor it slowly, drawing from it every drop of His grace. Hearing His love, basking in the glory of knowing this is our God! He has called us to be His family! We dwell, not in the anxieties and stresses of this world, but in His presence, nourished and comforted by Him. That’s what Escriva is talking about, as he tells us to close our eyes and look within, not to see our souls – but to realize the presence of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us.
He is here…
This we need to know….revel in, relax in…….think through…
Be Still, quiet, relax… and know that I am God.
Take the time to hear the answer to your cries, “Lord have mercy!”
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 749-752). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
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The Compassion of God
Isaiah 66:10-14
† In Jesus Name †
May the grace of God of Father and our Lord Jesus Christ bring you comfort and strength, as we journey through this life… in the presence of the Holy Spirit!
An Uncomfortable Reading?
Every week I face a choice, which of the three readings should I use as the basis of the sermon. As I pick which to preach on, one of the things I look for is the biggest “gulp factor.” That is, which of the passages will be the hardest to preach on, because that is where the best message may be. The passage that causes you to “gulp” as you read it, that makes you uncomfortable as you read it… can have the lesson you need, but will struggle to hear.
It is… odd…funny…perhaps, but as I studied the passage – what became the gulp factor wasn’t that God was portrayed as being a compassionate mother… or the frequent descriptions of female anatomy and nursing. Those are awkward at best… but the gulp factor is…more challenging.
What is more challenging is this description of God being so compassionate, so comforting, so caring, for His people….
So much so, that instead of using a father as an illustration, God chooses to use one of the most intuitively intimate descriptions that we know of in life.
The question that faces us today is, are we able to be the infant in that picture? Can we be that completely dependent on God, not just for the sustenance that will give us life, but for the comfort, that will overpower our anxieties, our inabilities.
So – let’s all take a big gulp – and see how deep the love and compassion of God is for us.
Are We Willing to Be Comforted?
If I am to take this passage seriously, I have to come to grips with this picture of God. He is the God who provides for us that which is necessary for life, but also, even as He does, He brings comfort to His children, to His people. With such care, such tenderness that the picture of a mom nursing her baby… is what describes His love best!
It seems to me that we shouldn’t ever outgrow this “phase”, as infants eventually grow into toddlers, then children, the teens and into adulthood. But maturing as a believer isn’t about becoming more independent of God, even though we might like to define it that way!
That’s counter-intuitive, and even more counter-cultural. Our world tells us we should become stronger, more self-sufficient, more driven, that we should grow and that means we should need less. Our culture dreads the loss of independence. Most of us dread the days we will have to depend on someone else completely. Yet, Israel – even after the height of growth, would come to need God more – yes for sustenance, but even more for comfort.
Perhaps this is why we struggle with this so much – if you asked us if we are willing to be comforted by God, most of us would have the same answer we would to having to depend on anyone else.
“Not today – I think I’ve got it handled”
“Let me try and fix it one more time… then I’ll pray about it and ask God for help.”
I think that is why God pictures us here as infants, not as toddlers or preschoolers!
There is something in us, that finds trusting in God difficult, because we want to make it a decision, a choice, rather than the intuitive relationship, like that that exists between a mother and a newborn.
We’d rather do it on our own, to not be known as those needy for God’s presence and provision. If we were asked, most of us were to stubborn to take what God brings to us, we would rather starve and die than eat of His heavenly nourishment. That’ why Jesus says we must have faith like and infant.
It’s my prayer that the church everywhere, and especially here, embrace God’s provision and comfort, as easily as a newborn babe. That we would be so overjoyed in God’s presence – that we just relax in His arms, and as ecstatic as an infant on his mom’s lap.
Rejoice, Be Glad, Rejoice
You see, that’s what this is all about – a relationship that we have with God, that goes beyond our ability to explain – one that we pour the energy of our voices into in song, in our praises as we realize His presence.
I want you to notice, that it’s not the infant that Isaiah describes rejoicing – even though the joy and peace is evident. The contentment of a nursing infant is incredible – even for dads who took the late night feeding. The mother’s joy is also incredible, as life flows from one to the other, and so it is for God, as He nourishes us. Isaiah asks others to witness the joy, to share in the joy as well – to be glad (remember – that’s to dance!) for the people of God who have been comforted, who drink deeply of God’s provision, who know little to put to words, but turn easily to Him, and His love.
Verse 14 talks of witnessing this – and our hearts rejoicing – and our lives grow like the grasses that shoot up in the desert after a rain. Much as we rejoice when God claims another here at the baptismal font, much as we rejoice when we come to the altar – and are fed by Christ… as we are fed through His word and through prayer.
I mentioned a little bit ago, that for the infant – it isn’t a matter of thinking and deliberation when it turns to his momma, or when it cries for her attention. It is instead an intuitive action, as it is for the mom to go to her child. That my friend is how we need to react with God, we turn to Him because we know He will answer our need – even if we can’t put words to it. I love how Luther put it as he explains the First Commandment in the Large Catechism:
“You shall have no other gods.”
1 That is, you shall regard me alone as your God. What does this mean, and how is it to be understood? What is to have a god? What is God?
2 Answer: A god is that to which we look for all good and in which we find refuge in every time of need. To have a god is nothing else than to trust and believe him with our whole heart. As I have often said, the trust and faith of the heart alone make both God and an idol.
I always wondered why a newborn knows the difference between the females that hold him or her. How does it know the difference between mom, and auntie, and grammy or cousin? For that matter, why does the baby scream when some guy picks him up?
The infant just knows, the same way we know God is God. He provides what we need, there is a desire to bring us peace and comfort, to provide what is needed. There is a joy that is beyond description as He feeds us, as He strengthens us, as He comforts us.
Which is why growing in Christ is not about growing in freedom from God, but recognizing our need for His interaction in our life. We grow to depend on His nourishment, and His comfort, for it is through that we grow to adore Him more and more.
For in bringing us comfort, it pours out on us as His peace, the peace that passes all understanding, and in which we are kept safe, our hearts and minds – by Christ…
AMEN
