Unexpected Love

Years ago when I worked at a church in the States as I unlocked the front door of the building I was accosted by a man who demanded money:  "Hey, give me five bucks."  When I declined, his demeanour became more aggressive and said something like, "This is a church, man!  And you say you love and care about people?"  Apparently I wasn't the soft target he was expecting, and I was not about to cave to a guilt trip because I didn't respond how he wanted.  In fact, it was because I cared about him I was not going to give him money to enable his addictions or embolden him to panhandle at our premises.  Love doesn't always look like we think it should.

Recently I read about when Jesus received word his beloved friend Lazarus was sick.  His  condition was dire enough to prompt his sisters to urgently send word to Jesus so He might come and heal him.  John 11:4-6 says, "When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was."  Now this was unexpected!  The penman John stressed Jesus loved not only Lazarus but his sisters Mary and Martha too because the actions of Jesus were not what we might expect from someone who cared.  We might think one could safely assume if Jesus really loved Lazarus He would drop everything to be by His side.  But God's love is revealed in unexpected ways, by waiting when we believe urgency is required, by seemingly ignoring the plight of His close friend as he lay dying.

God's love is manifested more by meeting deepest needs than in doing what we think He should.  By allowing Lazarus to die Jesus would bring many more to eternal salvation by the revelation of His deity through miraculously resurrecting he who was dead and buried four days!  I expect if you had spoken to Mary before Lazarus was raised from the dead she genuinely wondered if Jesus loved them or not.  When she heard he was coming to town, she didn't even bother to go out and greet Him so great was her grief.  After she met with Jesus His love was unexpectedly shown when he wept at the tomb of his friend.  We might have expected Jesus to be cavalier or smug knowing in minutes Lazarus at His word would emerge from the tomb wrapped in grave clothes in the presence of many witnesses.  Again, the scope of God's love reaches beyond our assumptions or expectations.

John 11:45 proves the eternal fruitfulness of Christ's love and power:  "Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him."  Had Jesus done what Martha and Mary hoped, Lazarus would have been healed and out of danger of death.  They would have confirmed in their minds Jesus is indeed a handy fellow to have around in times of trouble, a personal super-medic to call on when a family member or friend was ill - not the Resurrection and the Life!  Jesus demonstrated His love by tarrying, and He tarries today at times as well.  His tarrying may not be for a couple days but for weeks, months, and years so "the Son of God may be glorified through it."  He knows exactly what He will do and accomplish through times when we wonder if God is hearing our cries or not.  "That's fine for you to say when you aren't the one hurting or having to wait," you might say.  Fair enough, but consider how Jesus demonstrated His love by dying on the cross for the sins of wicked men:  no disciple of Jesus saw that coming, but we all rejoice in it.  He was willing to suffer pain and grief for us, and we should marvel at the fruitfulness of His sacrifice and the benefits we have received.

May the reality of God's great love towards us be established in our hearts and minds by faith regardless of our circumstances, choosing to trust and look to Jesus.  His everlasting love is infinitely greater than our thoughts, assumptions, or imagination.  His love may be unexpected but it is good and never fails.

Obedience in Faith

"The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: ² "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words." ³ Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel."

Jeremiah 18:1-3

God isn't into what I would call "efficiency," but He is big on obedience in faith.  Does it seem strange to you God didn't just tell what in the first place what He intended to say?  But this perspective might be borne out of our impatient and slothful mindset where convenience is king.  It was not a question of God knowing what to say, but obedience from Jeremiah the prophet was required to hear more.

I imagine we would be excited to tell others in light of Divine revelation, "God spoke to me!  He told me where to go!"  We would feel pretty special to hear from God, but for many people it ends right there.  God speaking is a key component of our relationship with Him, but we are then responsible to take action to do what He says.  In Jeremiah's case, rising and going to the potter's house was a key to hearing God's Words.  Jeremiah did not delay in obeying God's directive and went straight away.

As Jeremiah watched the potter throw clay on the wheel, God used the skilled hands of the potter to illustrate concerning God's power to shape the nation of Israel as He desired.  The point I am led to linger over is how important it is to hear and obey what God says.  I wonder how many times I missed out on the message God intended me to hear because I was not willing to rise up and in obedience go where He led me!  Now there are times I physically went to a specific location because I thought God wanted me to and I candidly say nothing happened.  But it is better to err on the side of faith by doing what we believe God to be telling us rather than allowing doubt to dictate.

How can I know God is speaking? some might ask.  I honestly don't know how God will speak to you, but I have no doubt the almighty God who created mouths to speak, ears to hear, minds to comprehend, and hearts to feel is perfectly capable to communicate with His individual subjects.  There is no need to complicate the matter, for God gave infants the ability to communicate with those who love them though they know not a word - and how He loves us.  I am grateful for God giving us the Bible where God speaks continually, and not on a pre-recorded loop because the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts leading us into all truth.  The question is not "Does God speak?" but will we listen and obey because we trust Him?

Walking Miracles

It is expected and predictable for sceptics to distort the truth of God's Word through unbelief, but there is no excuse when professing Christians explain away the miraculous in favour of naturalistic interpretations.  Some seem compelled to avoid any subjects or doctrines which might offend modern (often secular) sensitivities.  There are few things as stomach churning for me as the almost grovelling and apologetic, hand-wringing, or soft-selling approach to the proclamation of God's Word.  There is always a place for grace and tact, but no place should be given to tamper with the true message of the Gospel to avoid potential offence of unbelievers, and in our politically correct day even Christians.

It is important we translate the meaning of unfamiliar words or terms with people, but as God's messengers we abuse our role should we attempt to dull the sharp edge of scripture intended to cut.  C.S. Lewis wrote in an address titled "Christian Apologetics," "Do not attempt to water Christianity down.  There must be no pretence that you can have it with the Supernatural left out.  So far as I can see Christianity is precisely the one religion from which the miraculous cannot be separated.  You must frankly argue for supernaturalism from the very outset." (Lewis, C. S., and Walter Hooper. God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014. page 99)  The miraculous is central to Christianity because Jesus Christ is.  He is revealed in scripture as Creator of all things, the self-existent I AM, the One who baptises with the Holy Spirit and fire, the Lamb of God who was crucified for the sins of the world, rose from the dead, and lives eternally.  Having defeated death and Satan, Jesus Christ forever reigns supreme with all authority in heaven and earth - without apology.

How strange it is people can believe in the salvation of eternal souls through faith in Jesus but reject the biblical account of creation, the existence of Adam and Eve as actual people, the flood survived by Noah and his family, and on.  Since I believe God supernaturally created the heavens and the earth from nothing, having established the many natural laws which people have discovered, it is nothing for God to go beyond man's understanding and do what we deem impossible:  who but God can cause light to shine in the darkness and make life spring forth from death?  The Christian life is one supernaturally created and sustained by the living God, and every follower of Jesus is a walking miracle.  If we abandon the miraculous for naturalistic explanations or superstitions of a previous age Christianity is nothing more than a mirage of self-help which cannot save a soul.

Labour For Food Which Endures

When a huge crowd gathered to see Jesus He asked Philip, "Where shall we buy bread to feed all these people?"  John 6:6 says, "But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do."  Philip, on the other hand, had no idea what to do.  Before he could bring himself to think about what bakery would have enough food on hand for 5,000 men plus their families, he knew they did not have enough money to buy it!  He responded that wages earned over eight months (200 denari) would not be enough to adequately feed those assembled.  Hard labour wouldn't put a dent in the needy sprawled around them.  Jesus did not ask out of ignorance, but to test Philip because He already knew what He was going to do.

Perhaps overhearing the conversation, Andrew piped up in John 6:9, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  In light of the crowd, five loaves and two small fish were nothing, hardly significant.  I imagine Andrew felt a little silly even mentioning the boy's lunch.  Yet in the hands of Jesus, this small portion would be multiplied to satisfy the most ravenous among them to the full.  After Jesus directed the people to sit down He took the bread, blessed, broke it, and handed it to His disciples to share until all were satisfied.  When they had finished eating, Jesus sent the disciples to gather the fragments and 12 baskets were filled - beyond thousands of hungry mouths!  A most notable miracle was done by Jesus that day.

After Jesus departed with His disciples, the following day people went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to meet with Him.  John 6:26-27 relates, "Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the multitude so they might recognise He was the son of God, the one who gives eternal life.  The people, however, largely missed the point.  They were willing to cross the sea for a free meal, but faltered at the point in trusting in Jesus for eternal life.  After this mild rebuke and exhortation, Jesus explained He is the Bread of Life, sent from heaven people were to partake in through faith.  Food and drink will sustain a person for a matter of days, but the broken body and shed blood of Jesus on Calvary for us is effectual by faith to provide eternal life.

This passage ministers comfort to my heart, even as those small loaves and fish brought satisfaction to all who sat down to eat - so much so they searched and crossed the sea for more!  The Bible and the words of Jesus in the eyes of some people are insignificant and nothing special, but what peace, strength, and joy they provide to believing hearts.  Many ate the loaves, witnessed the miracle, but the impact Jesus intended was missed by unbelief.  It is not that Jesus said or did the wrong things:  people took them the wrong way.  Sometimes we may think our words (or even God's Word!) are insignificant or ignored, but God is able to take a sentence or word and use it to transform the lives of others by His gracious power.  There are a lot of voices in the world, many ideas which are erroneous and misleading, even deceitful or distracting, but the Word of God rises above the all.  Like when Jonathan tasted the honey and his eyes lit up, so it is when we receive God's Word for us, owning it gladly in faith.

This morning I read the words of Jeremiah 15:15-16:  "O LORD, You know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke. ¹⁶ Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts."  The prophet Jeremiah faced hard times, especially because people would not hear or obey the word of the LORD.  But Jeremiah was encouraged by God who knew him, who remembered and visited him.  Verse 16 says Jeremiah found God's words which suggests he sought, recognised, valued them, and took them to heart.  God's Word was the "joy and rejoicing" of his heart because he was called by God's almighty name.  How awesome is the power and influence of the Bible on believing hearts!  When we have eaten to the full there is more than scraps left over.