The Best Gift

There is something universally believed which is a big lie:  there is something on this planet which will provide enduring happiness.  The world and our flesh constantly reinforce the fantasy if our circumstances were different (and better!) we could be satisfied and at rest.  What people forget or are ignorant of is we live on an earth cursed with the consequences of sin.  The only true good news we could receive must come from beyond this world.

We are thirsty for good news and look everywhere to find it.  Like a person in pitch darkness trying to see beyond their nose, we strain to hear good news.  But the thing is, even when we do find welcome news it never lasts because nothing on earth does:  new things grow old, innovations become obsolete, every marriage will someday end, and good health always ends in death.  Seriously, think about it.  "All is vanity and grasping for the wind," said King Solomon after doing everything the richest man on the planet could do.  Solomon had fame, power, riches, and women.  He threw himself into building projects, religion, revelry, music, the arts, sex, alcohol, exotic collections, and possessions.  He sat on his ivory throne covered in gold and thought to himself, "Someday I'm not going to be here to enjoy the wealth and prosperity of this kingdom.  It's going to pass to others who won't appreciate it or even know my name."  And he was right.

Our hopes as human beings are firmly set in believing our circumstances are bound to change for the better:  if we work hard, when we acquire or make our first million, buy a house, have a romantic relationship, have a family and children we will have this feeling of inner peace and satisfaction.  We will have "made it," whatever that means.  But unlike dark clouds that have a silver edge, a positive to draw out of even the worst situation, in everything we long to obtain there are sinister, unseen, and painful heartaches we never counted on.  We like the idea of being famous and acknowledged for excellence, but few consider what it is like to not be able to go to the shops without being mugged for pictures or autographs.  People dream of winning the lottery but don't figure on people they love scheming to rob them of it.  And we are rarely satisfied:  like tattoos, plastic surgery begets more.  No one imagines they will experience complications or death for a common procedure or dentist visit, but it happens.

Into a world of dark hopelessness God in His mercy and grace sent the Light of the World.  We would have been temporarily happy with far less than this truly good news.  We would be ecstatic to hear a civil war ceased (that can start again) or a marriage has been restored (which will certainly one day end) or a health scare has been averted (which for us mortals is at best temporary).  God entered a world bound by time as a human being in the person of Jesus Christ to provide eternal life and hope for all who repent and trust in Him.  We can be adopted into the forever family of God when we respond to His call by being born again.  The hope Jesus brings is not like a carrot dangling in front of us--always out of reach that we cannot receive until our pilgrimage on earth is over--but is ours today and always!  Because of our weak frame and forgetfulness our affections and desires can drift from Jesus Christ, and then we begin to drown in a morass of cares, worries, and dissatisfaction.

About 2,000 years ago, the Messiah Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, wrapped in linen strips, and laid in a feeding trough for animals.  Into a hopeless and cursed world a Saviour was sent to seek and save the lost.  Birthday and Christmas gifts we receive will lose their shine and break, but the love of God demonstrated through Christ's life and sacrificial death for us continues regardless of our possessions or circumstances.  We will experience tough times and fiery trials, but our risen and living LORD Jesus Christ is with us every step as we follow Him forever.  Better than eternal life itself, Jesus truly is the best gift ever given.

Receiving God's Love

I think I can remember the first video game I ever played:  a Mattel "football" game which required a 9-volt battery.  There were no graphics or pictures but a red light which could be directed and controlled by the player.  Since the early days of Apple IIe computers and Atari consoles, gaming has exploded as an industry offering entertainment, online interaction, and competition.  Over the years gaming with my sons has been a hobby I quite enjoy.

The online game I play has a chat feed which I keep during rounds.  I have learned one of the great compliments in the gaming arena is when someone actually bothers to type your name in the chat.  Being accused of hacking is one of the better back-handed compliments--that is, when you are playing fair.  If someone mentions one of our names we will say something to one another like, "You're getting some love on the chat" and it makes for amusing and friendly conversation.  When you are one player being picked on by the other team out of 20 options or your reputation has preceded you, it is a rare reward.

Genuine love can be shown through compliments or criticism, and responding in love to harshness is a fruit of the Spirit.  At this time of year when we remember and celebrate the coming of Jesus to seek and save sinners, we must also consider the life Jesus lived and what He accomplished. Romans 5:8 says of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Jesus called out to all people--not just His countrymen, family, wealthy, or respected--but to the unworthy, weak, and flawed.  He gave all His love to every single person regardless of ethnicity, age, or political leaning.  His entire life was spent in this loving, sacrificial manner for the glory of God.  He gave Himself like no one ever could.

People gauge the success or merriment of Christmas based upon what they "get," but having received Jesus Christ by faith we have all.  Through Christ we can be transformed to living springs of water that refresh thirsty souls because the life of Jesus is ours.  God has given us all things richly to enjoy, yet we need Him to thoroughly enjoy anything.  It is more blessed to give than to receive, and the only way this can be accomplished in us is to receive Jesus who loves us completely.  The love of Jesus Christ is infinitely greater and enduring than any other love in this world.

The Loving Delay

God's love is demonstrated in most unexpected ways.  When Lazarus was deathly ill, his sisters Mary and Martha sent an urgent message to Jesus to alert Him.  Moved by faith, they knew Jesus had the ability to miraculously heal Lazarus and prevent his death.  John 11:4-6 reads, "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."  The writer John explained because Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, He did not immediately drop everything and depart.  He waited two days before leaving for Bethany knowing by the time they arrived Lazarus would have been dead four days.  Pause for a moment to allow this to sink in.

So often people can imagine what God's love looks like--I know I do.  Since God loves people and nothing is hard for Him, why doesn't He simply do what we ask Him in a reasonable amount of time?  One answer to this question is because His love is greater than us and our apparent needs.  John 11:14-15 shows Jesus was not caught off guard by the severity of the illness of Lazarus and addressing His disciples, "Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him."  Jesus was speaking to His faithful followers, not strangers on the street.  There was still additional faith they needed, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead would be a powerful display of His power and love that would save souls from eternal death.

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Martha and Mary both lamented the fact Jesus had not arrived sooner because after their brother died all hope for his healing was lost.  But notice what Jesus audibly prayed after the stench of death filled the nostrils of onlookers in John 11:41-44:  "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."  Seeing dead Lazarus rise caused many people to believe Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.  In allowing Lazarus to die there was opportunity for God to demonstrate His love for the living and the dead, for Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

There are times when we have prayed urgently for God to act and nothing seems to change--perhaps things only grew worse!  A sick brother is better than a dead one, right?  But Jesus knew exactly what Lazarus and his sisters were experiencing, what He would do, and the ultimate glorification of God.  Four days for us may last for four decades, but let us never lose heart in God, His power, plans, and His amazing ability to redeem for good.  Paul who was shipwrecked, beaten, flogged, stoned and left for dead for following Jesus wrote in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  Paul knew this, as well as Lazarus and many others to this day.  May the knowledge of God's redemptive work Paul spoke of and Jesus demonstrated in John 11 trump our imaginations of what we think God ought to do.

Drones and Distance

The way humans engage in conflict with others has changed over the years, though people haven't changed.  The first reference of human conflict with one another in the history of the world was when Cain struck and killed his brother Abel in a field.  We do not know if Cain wielded a weapon, but it is clear he purposely murdered his brother.  The blood of Abel cried out to God in heaven for divine retribution.

It used to be warring people met their enemy in hand-to-hand combat, using weapons like swords and knives crafted to inflict injury on others.  There have been strategic advances involving fortresses, reinforced gates, shields and armor.  Horses and chariots were utilised to effectively pursue and overwhelm foot soldiers.  Arrows were designed to inflict injuries from afar, and in more recent times catapults were employed.  Whilst physical combat has continued in the fighting ring for sport or in the street for honour, the rise of the firearm changed the scope of warfare.  No longer did a man need to physically grapple with his opponent, hear his voice, or see the whites of his eyes:  from hundreds and thousands of metres away he could be instantly shot dead.  Guerrilla tactics have perfected the concealment of mines and hidden explosives with brutal effect.

In the 17th through 19th centuries in the U.S. offended gentlemen challenged one another to duels, facing off with sword or pistol.  Concerning pistol duels there were rules to be observed like the colour of clothing worn, the distance they were to stand apart, and the amount of shots which could be fired (more than 3 was considered barbaric).  Over the years the ball and musket were replaced by revolvers and magazines; one shot bolt action rifles were made semi-auto and fully automatic to spray bullets faster.  There has been a rapid escalation in the last century in every aspect of warfare.  Nations are engaged in a global race to design killing machines that are faster, stronger, and more powerful:  tanks, aircraft carriers, jet fighters, missiles guided by computers and satellites, nuclear bombs, drones, sonic weapons and even railguns.

The drone translates well to modern sensibilities concerning conflict with comparatively low cost and low personal risk.  An attacker can fly reconnaissance and attack missions remotely from the comfort of an air-conditioned office a world away in a secret and secure location without any risk of being shot or captured.  Heat signatures allow the drones to expose people hiding in pitch darkness.  Drones can deploy missiles which lock onto a location and destroy targets without the one deploying the missile personally seeing or experiencing the horrors of war firsthand.  The victims of drone attacks are the ones who deal with the carnage, pain, and fallout.  It is their family members who have been killed, and their homes that have been destroyed.

I write this not to criticise modern warfare or technology but to use drone attacks as an analogy for the way people approach conflict with social media.  From a secure location, behind the safety of a screen, people can create or escalate conflict without any idea of the damage they are doing or have done to others.  The smell of gunpowder or burning flesh may not fill the air, but with precision missiles are deployed with unloving comments and posts--not to love and edify others--but to humiliate or provoke reactions.  Words can be weaponised to a point, sharpened to inflict maximum damage on others with no real intellectual engagement at all.  Many online interactions fall into the two categories of provocative or reactive from defensive, entrenched positions.  Instead of grappling in a gymnasium with another human being for exercise, debating with friends over dinner at the pub, or simply stopping to listen and consider implications of our claims, we are inclined to allow the drone of social media to carry the payload to obliterate opposition with self-satisfaction.

When we are led by the Holy Spirit, the love of Jesus enables us to navigate the minefield of political and personal posts without harshness, bragging, or gloating.  Secure in our relationship with God and armed with the truth of scripture, we will not give way to the urge to skewer others with the "truth."  What once made us angry and lash out produces grief we take to God in prayer.  No longer is our chief aim to prove we're right and others are wrong but to humbly examine ourselves and walk in light of the Gospel.  If someone does offend us, we ought to first forgive them and then see if our response is of the flesh or the Holy Spirit:  our motive to reach out privately or block them will reveal the truth.  It may be necessary to do what Jesus said in Matthew 18:15:  "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother."  Instead of dropping bombs from afar, we ought to draw near with a hug and handshake.  Even after all these years Proverbs 15:1 has remained true:  "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."  When provoked it requires the strength of God to submit to speak softly--if at all.