When the Light Dawns

 

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world.  If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”  The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself!  Such testimony is not valid.”  Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself.  For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me.  You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone.  And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone.  The Father who sent me is with me.  Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact.  I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”  “Where is your father?” they asked.  Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is.  If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”  John 8:12-19

There is, undoubtedly, a disconnect between knowing about someone and knowing someone.  I know a lot about Abraham Lincoln.  However, despite what my grandchildren think about how old I am, I never knew him.  In the same way, I never knew George Washington, Copernicus, Nero, or Adam. 

This disconnect, between knowing about and the intimacy of knowing is the hinge upon which much misunderstanding hangs, and particularly so in the church of Jesus Christ.  Many people know about Jesus and have read about God.  Less know Him intimately.  The Pharisees were religious leaders and common sense says they should have had an intimate knowledge of God.  Yet, Jesus’ final words to them in this exchange is an indictment of their religion ABOUT God attempting to replace relationship WITH God.  It speaks of the Pharisees’ spiritual blindness., which was at the foundation of why these religious leaders were an ill-fit for their job. 

Everything, literally, in matters of faith, is dependent on knowing God intimately.  You cannot pray, give, work-for, worship, or be a witness in any adequate sense until there is a vital and growing relationship with God.  This is “first base” in having a walk which is worthy of being called a child of God. 

In baseball it is elemental to step up to the plate and be ready for the pitcher to throw the ball in your direction.  Being “ready” means you’re committed to swinging your bat at the ball to hit it onto (or over) the playing field.  That is the first “step” in being a hitter, as surely as it is the basic understanding about stepping up to a relationship with God.  Just as a player makes himself available to enter the game, one who would begin to know God steps up to the place where God throws the ball of relationship.  God did that with Moses, calling from a burning bush; Moses stood on holy ground that day.[1]  God did it with young Samuel, calling him in the middle of the night; Samuel answered, speak LORD, your servant is listening.[2]

All the people we read about in Scripture who got to know God intimately did so because their hearts were open to God’s ways, and their minds focused on staying ready to be used.  Because God does not change in character it is no different today for you and me. 

For You Today

Getting to know God (and not just about Him) is all about starting with Jesus.  He is the one who stands at home plate, waiting for your appearance.  Knowing God comes from investing your life (past, present, and all eternity) in knowing Jesus.  That’s when He who is the light of the world will begin to make sense to your heart and soul.  You won’t be just another Pharisee knowing about God; you’ll know him as one friend knows another.

And here’s the bottom line:  It’s your turn at the plate; are you ready?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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Title image:  Russell Brownworth (own work)  W  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

For other posts on this text see An Uncomfortable Answer from the Whirlwind and Heart's Desire  

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[1] Exodus 3:1-5

[2] 1 Samuel 3:1-10

 

Why?

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"Why" is a word that gets plenty of use.  We want to know why this happens or that.  We want to understand why the world is in such a mess, why people do terrible things like shoot and kill children in a school, or shoppers in a mall.  We want to know why some obnoxious jerk got the job, and we got unemployment. 

Why is one of the first words a three year old begins to understand he can use to drive his parent crazy from the backseat of the family van!  It is asked no less than 82 gazillion times an hour!

That “why” word must’ve loomed large in the youthful mind of Jeremiah when God called him to speak as Heaven’s messenger. 

Like Timothy, Paul’s protégé’ in the New Testament, Jeremiah figured he was just a youngster, why would all the people in power listen to a word he spoke.  God told Jeremiah to lose that thinking and just trust him. 

The Lord gave the fledgling prophet assurance because of three facts:

1.        God’s Sovereignty

The Lord gave me this message:  “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah 1:4-5

God did what only a sovereign can do; he chose Jeremiah.  Sovereigns don’t answer, especially to those they rule. Had Jeremiah not been the one for God’s plan, he wouldn’t have heard from God in the first place.

In this particular case, even before Jeremiah’s mother gave birth to him, God had appointed him to God’s service.  That may seem arbitrary, but we are talking about the same One who spoke the universe into existence; it is the Creator’s right to have His way with the creatures.  Even if we don’t understand or agree with that, there is a part of each of our insides that says we must respect Him.

Remember Lot’s wife?  She had gotten so used to being a resident of Sodom she didn’t want anything else.  When God decreed the destruction of that wicked city it was time to leave; God brought the Lot family out as a matter of kindness.  Mrs. Lot didn’t agree, and even though God had warned not even to look back, she just had to have one last look.  She didn’t respect God’s command or His Sovereignty, and she was frozen in time as a pillar of salt, forever to stare at the destroyed city.

It is not wrong to ask why, but when God says I’ll tell you later – just do what I said, it isn’t time to quibble or struggle.  He is still sovereign over all, and that is a comfort Jeremiah needed if he was going to serve the God with no name.

A second fact that comforted the newly-ordained prophet that day was:

2.        God’s Intimacy

Notice all the personal pronouns that describe God’s relationship with Jeremiah:

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”  The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.  And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you.  I, the Lord, have spoken!”  Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth!  Jeremiah 1: 6-9

Five times in these 4 verses God refers to His personhood “I” and “my”.  And he marries that with “you” and “your” when referring to Jeremiah.  We serve a God who is sovereign, but not aloof.  The whole reason God created us is for relationship.  We are hard-wired for fellowship with God and each other. 

The next time you begin to ask why remember the God of the universe understands every heartbeat of your pulse, intent and purpose of your thoughts and soul, and loves you more intensely than any parent could even imagine.  And on top of that, He is engineering everything to bless you.

28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  Romans 8:28-29

The ultimate answer to the question “why” is “love” – that word agape’ means doing the best for someone else…that someone is you!  Sometimes the best may not look like it at first…but with God it is always the best in the universe!

Marianne was a friend of Elizabeth and mine years ago.  She and Richard had a mongrel dog they loved named Sadie.  The mutt gave birth to a litter of pups.  She came back in the house one afternoon covered with fleas.  Marianne, a clean-freak of the Marine drill sergeant variety went into overdrive.  She prayed, Lord, how could this happen?  I’m so careful, and I can’t afford another big vet bill, but I can’t put this mama in with the pups with all those fleas.  They took the mutt to the vet and, in the examination the vet discovered the dog had a problem that would’ve killed her, but could be cured with a simple, inexpensive shot.  Marianne came to Bible Study that night praising her sovereign, loving Lord for fleas; FLEAS!  Those little ugly bugs that are 90% teeth may not look like a blessing, but without them Sadie the mama dog would’ve been only a memory.

And then, the sovereign, intimate Lord, who chose and loved Jeremiah, gave his life purpose and direction with a mission to accomplish because of:

3.        Eternity

Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms.  Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow.  Others you must build up and plant.”  Jeremiah 1: 10

Talk about things we don’t understand; God’s plans are certainly something you and I have a great deal of problem comprehending.  God uses a different lens to look at eternity than we do.  Our only choice is to trust Him.

Let’s do a little survey of Bible people who God has used to teach us the reality of trusting a Sovereign, intimate, and eternal God.  These are all people who tried to do right, obey God, but had stuff happen that gave them reason to ask why:

·      Job was a model citizen who served God with a passion; his life fell apart and the pain of not knowing why was killing him.

·      Joseph loved God and behaved himself; his brothers threw him in a hole, then sold him to slave traffickers…why, indeed?

·      Paul gave up everything he’d ever earned, including the respect and trust of the movers and shakers of the world, just to serve God; he got shipwreck, beatings, humiliation, prison, and eventually beheaded.  Why?

·      Peter knew Jesus, and served Jesus, and loved Jesus ferociously; as thanks he got crucified upside-down.  Why?

·      John, the apostle Jesus favored more than just about anyone else spent his retirement years imprisoned in a God-forsaken island prison camp working on the chain gang, digging coal.

But the biggest why of all belongs to the carpenter’s son, Jesus.  He gave his life helping others, teaching love, healing lepers, cripples, blind beggars, feeding the multitudes, and standing up for the oppressed.  They beat Him, mocked Him, and put Him on a cross.  In the end he cried out why have You forsaken me?  I tend to think Jesus understood the cost of sin being forgiven was to have the Father turn his back on Him.  He said that because the pain was great to bear, and we needed to know that He knows our pain. 

He said it to bear our pain…That’s Why!   
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…Amen!

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[i] Title Images:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com.    All Scripture quoted is from The New Living Translation (unless otherwise stated)