In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-4, 14
Last week, my wife and I were privileged to go to the hospital and visit friends who had their first child. I was amazed at the responsibility of a child and thought through some of the differences a child would bring into someone’s life. When we arrived in the room, I was able to hold her while she quietly slept and occasionally yawned. She was easy to handle but quite fragile. There was a lot of attention being focused on this little girl. I kept my eyes on her most of the time while talking to the family. It was a precious moment! After a while, she was stirred to emotion and began crying. Of course, my wife had her in her arms by that point; I had already passed her off right before the cries started. It wasn’t long until she seemed to be at ease. She was quiet and still but emitted a little bit of odor. My wife graciously handed the baby over to her father, and he inspected her. There was a mess to be cleaned up; It was personal, private, and obvious.
Have you ever thought about how we treat relationships at times? It is easy to be friends with someone who always responds the way you want them to. It is easy to get to know someone who has the same interests, job, socio-economic status, cultural background, and ideas on life. What is hard is to engage and take initiative in building relationships with those who are different. Of course, relationships are built over time, vary in levels of trust, and at times can be tested. Should we walk away so easily when relationships get messy? There is a part of us that wants to be separated, isolated, and unchanging. However, there is also a part of us that yearns for contact. With contact, there will be conflict at times, yet we must change according to truth and adapt to show that we care. This is the only way to grow in the context of a community.
Have you ever thought about what God looked down on when He saw us walking around and living in our sin? He could have said, “I do not want to get involved in the mess they have created for themselves.” He could have remained distant, silent, and uninvolved, yet He didn’t. Galatians tells us, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” We were condemned by the law. It exposed the personal, private, and obvious sins in our messy lives. Like helpless babies, we are unable to do anything for ourselves. Actually, Paul told the Ephesians that they were dead men walking (Eph. 2:1-3).
However in spite of our filth, Jesus entered the world we live in. He got his hands and feet dirty. He felt the desert air on his face. He felt the sun beaming down. He rode on filthy donkeys, wore dusty sandals, and built things as a carpenter. He loved on children, rebuked false professors, and showed grace to the repentant. He calmed the disciples’ fears on the sea. He was betrayed by one of them, Judas Iscariot, and saddened by the rejection of one of his closest friends, Peter. He loved by initiating contact with sinners in their messes. He loved by confronting men and women with truth. He loved by never compromising his character—the nature of his Father that He declared and came to reveal (Hebrews 1:1-3). He loved on the cross by dying for the way, truth, and life. He entered our world so we might be born again and see His (John 3:1-6).
Jesus was the Word made flesh. He lived among real people in a real time and was full of grace and truth. He proved that God loved the world not in thought only, but in sacrificial action. He chose to love us, so He might display the greatness of His glorious grace. In His extravagant love, based on truth, He revealed the grace-filled life and died for the church—a community connected in Him and bearing the cross with grace, truth, and love. The church is not of this world. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 1:3), but we must love, be incarnate, and be His body to those who are wallowing in their mess. Who is it that you need to reach out to and love? Who can you show Christ to? Pray. Act (Don’t pass your opportunities on to someone else!). Live in the power of the Spirit. Enjoy God’s presence in being part of the body of Christ.
Alive in the Word,
Brian Johnson
John 1:1-4, 14
Last week, my wife and I were privileged to go to the hospital and visit friends who had their first child. I was amazed at the responsibility of a child and thought through some of the differences a child would bring into someone’s life. When we arrived in the room, I was able to hold her while she quietly slept and occasionally yawned. She was easy to handle but quite fragile. There was a lot of attention being focused on this little girl. I kept my eyes on her most of the time while talking to the family. It was a precious moment! After a while, she was stirred to emotion and began crying. Of course, my wife had her in her arms by that point; I had already passed her off right before the cries started. It wasn’t long until she seemed to be at ease. She was quiet and still but emitted a little bit of odor. My wife graciously handed the baby over to her father, and he inspected her. There was a mess to be cleaned up; It was personal, private, and obvious.
Have you ever thought about how we treat relationships at times? It is easy to be friends with someone who always responds the way you want them to. It is easy to get to know someone who has the same interests, job, socio-economic status, cultural background, and ideas on life. What is hard is to engage and take initiative in building relationships with those who are different. Of course, relationships are built over time, vary in levels of trust, and at times can be tested. Should we walk away so easily when relationships get messy? There is a part of us that wants to be separated, isolated, and unchanging. However, there is also a part of us that yearns for contact. With contact, there will be conflict at times, yet we must change according to truth and adapt to show that we care. This is the only way to grow in the context of a community.
Have you ever thought about what God looked down on when He saw us walking around and living in our sin? He could have said, “I do not want to get involved in the mess they have created for themselves.” He could have remained distant, silent, and uninvolved, yet He didn’t. Galatians tells us, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” We were condemned by the law. It exposed the personal, private, and obvious sins in our messy lives. Like helpless babies, we are unable to do anything for ourselves. Actually, Paul told the Ephesians that they were dead men walking (Eph. 2:1-3).
However in spite of our filth, Jesus entered the world we live in. He got his hands and feet dirty. He felt the desert air on his face. He felt the sun beaming down. He rode on filthy donkeys, wore dusty sandals, and built things as a carpenter. He loved on children, rebuked false professors, and showed grace to the repentant. He calmed the disciples’ fears on the sea. He was betrayed by one of them, Judas Iscariot, and saddened by the rejection of one of his closest friends, Peter. He loved by initiating contact with sinners in their messes. He loved by confronting men and women with truth. He loved by never compromising his character—the nature of his Father that He declared and came to reveal (Hebrews 1:1-3). He loved on the cross by dying for the way, truth, and life. He entered our world so we might be born again and see His (John 3:1-6).
Jesus was the Word made flesh. He lived among real people in a real time and was full of grace and truth. He proved that God loved the world not in thought only, but in sacrificial action. He chose to love us, so He might display the greatness of His glorious grace. In His extravagant love, based on truth, He revealed the grace-filled life and died for the church—a community connected in Him and bearing the cross with grace, truth, and love. The church is not of this world. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 1:3), but we must love, be incarnate, and be His body to those who are wallowing in their mess. Who is it that you need to reach out to and love? Who can you show Christ to? Pray. Act (Don’t pass your opportunities on to someone else!). Live in the power of the Spirit. Enjoy God’s presence in being part of the body of Christ.
Alive in the Word,
Brian Johnson
No comments:
Post a Comment