-- Luke 12:49-51
What do we think of when we picture Jesus? Do we picture the white flowing robes and the Germanic features? Do we picture the smiling children at his feet? Do we picture a man walking tranquilly across a stormy sea?
Or, do we picture a man ready to set the world on fire?
I can say that I rarely have that last image come to mind, but that is why he came. He came to change the world forever, and while we reap the benefits of this, he carried the burden. During his ministry he performed miracles, and he taught about caring for the downtrodden, but his ultimate purpose was to destroy the old fabric of the law, and give birth to healing.
Jesus was love, but he was not soft and weak. He was God manifest as human, come with the purpose of redeeming His people from the death they deserved. The burden of death that was ours was on His head - by His choice. There was no reason for God to do this, there was nothing that forced His hand to send His son down here, He owed us nothing. Yet, He came, He loved, He carried the weight, He died .... for us.
The weight of this can be crushing if we allow it to be, and if we focus on how very unworthy we are of such and act. I know that I've been in this spot a few times, and I think it is a good place to be for a brief period since it allows us to really reflect on how very unworthy we are of grace, but it is not a place to linger. If we stay too long in this thought arena; the focus moves from Jesus and grace to self worth which is not the point. I believe it is good to go before God and confess everything, lay it all out at His feet, but after that is done we need to leave it there and move forward confident in our forgiveness.
What can I offer the Lord
for all he has done for me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and praise the Lord's name for saving me.
-- Psalms 116:12-13
So, how do we respond to a gift of which we are so very unworthy? With praise! By living a life unlike the one we were living before we received His gift. By understanding that He bought us with His blood, His suffering, His life. We get to choose to accept the gift, but we do not get to set the terms. We don't get to negotiate with God, we are either His or we are our own - there is no middle ground. We cannot repay Him, we cannot get on even ground with God - He is beyond us, yet by His grace, power, and glory; He chose to make a way for relationship.
God needs nothing from me. He already owns it all. I cannot repay Him, my good deeds will never begin to cover the debt that was mine. It is pointless to even try to earn the grace offered me. All I can offer Him is my everything.
Once I came to terms with the fact that all I can offer is my praise I stepped from guilt into freedom. I could have gotten stuck looking at my shame - it is an easy place to linger since it still affords us the ownership of our lives, but there is no life there. Life did not rain down on my head until I decided to accept the gift of life with thanksgiving in praise Him with all that I am.
Unfailing love and truth have met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed!
Truth springs up from the earth,
and righteousness smiles down from heaven.
Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings.
Our land will yield its bountiful harvest.
Righteousness goes as a herald before him,
preparing the way for his steps.
-- Psalms 85:10-13
Unfailing love and truth have met. Righteousness and peace have kissed! Jesus came and set the world on fire. He destroyed the world as we had created it to be, and He birthed a new hope for all mankind.
"'Safe?' said Mr. Beaver, 'Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.'" -- The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe; C.S. Lewis
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