There is nobody home. Very good. That was easy. And there is perhaps only one thing worse than that! How about this-- The Lights are OFF and there is nobody home. I recently came across a reading of C.S. Lewis while reading of our Lord's Passion, his road to suffering and death on the cross. I have edited Lewis' writing to make it a bit more understandable to the modern ear. (Any Purists please forgive me) It is from Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer:
Does not every movement in the Passion of our Lord register a common element in either our own suffering or the suffering of those around us? First, the prayer of anguish (Garden of Gethsemane): Not granted. Then Jesus turns to His friends. They are asleep--as are our friends at times or perhaps we ourselves-- asleep, or busy, or away, or preoccupied. Then He faces the Church; the very Church that He brought into existence. It condemns Him. This also is characteristic. In every Church, in every institution, there is something which sooner or later works against the very purpose for which it came into existence. But there seems to be another chance. There is the State . . . its pretensions are far lower than those of the Church, but for that very reason it may be free from local fanaticism's. It claims to be just on a rough, worldly level. Yet, but only so far as is consistent with political expediency. Other factors may come in and override all legal and moral considerations. One becomes a counter or a mere chip in a complicated game. But even now all is not lost. There is still an appeal to the People-- the poor and simple whom He had blessed, whom He had healed and fed and taught, to whom He Himself belongs. But they have become over-night (it is nothing unusual) a murderous rabble shouting for His blood. There is then, nothing left but God. And to God, God's last words are "Why hast thou forsaken me?"
Commentary: Hmmmm. The above is to go darker than dark, a darkness as occurred during the Passover night that turned bad for the Egyptians. It was said to be a darkness that can be felt. Indeed . . . and it was worse for our Lord as the Father actually turned His back on His own Son as He poured out holy wrath upon Him. Dark as Pitch. Well, what about us in our times of utter darkness?
Consider Isaiah 50:10a: "Who is among you that fears the Lord, that obeys the voice of His servant, that walks in darkness and has no light?" Now consider this: a faithful servant of God in the dark and can see no way out. There are many people around us that this describes--or perhaps it is you. Following God but He is seemingly gone and the temptation is to curse God and die. Well, there are two choices given in this passage for Isaiah for them (or us) during these times:
1. "Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on His God. " (Isaiah 50:10b) Yes, even when it is pitch black and everyone, including God seems to have vacated your life. This is the way to go. Or . . .
2. "Kindle a fire, encircle yourself with firebrands, walk in the light of your fire and among the brands that you have set ablaze." (Isaiah 50:11) In other words, rather than wait for God create your own light and solution. This is an option but be warned: such will lie down in torment according to Isaiah 50:11b.
Even when all is dark, when the lights are out and there seems to be nobody within miles and miles . . . though the fig tree does not blossom, though there be no fruit on the vine, though the flocks are cut off, though there are no cattle in the stalls, though you have lost a job or a friend . . . or whatever your loss . . . Yet, Yet, Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. Let Him make your feet like hinds' feet and make you to walk on your high places. See Habakkuk 3:17-19
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
On Perelandra: When Your Darkness is "Packed Quite Full"
The setting below is of the evil one going to Venus (Perelandra) in order to bring the Mother of all living there (like Eve for us) into disobedience against Maleldil (God). The Evil One has been working on the lady for days now and it looks like Evil is going to win. Ransom (the main character in the book) has been sent to Perelandra (Venus) but he is not sure why. In the context of below, He has been listening to the enemies temptations to the Lady for days now. He is distraught at the thought that the woman might give in to the enemies constant temptations to disobey--and thus Venus would have a fall . . .
"The Enemy was using Third Degree methods. It seemed to Ransom that, but for a miracle, the Lady's resistance was bound to be worn away in the end. Why did no miracle come? Or rather, why no miracle on the right side? For the presence of the Enemy was in itself a kind of Miracle. Had Hell a prerogative to work wonders? Why did Heaven work none? Not for the first time he found himself questioning Divine Justice. He could not understand why Maleldil should remain absent when the Enemy was there in person."
"But while he was thinking this, as suddenly and sharply as if the solid darkness about him had spoken with articulate voice, he knew that Maleldil was not absent. . . the darkness was packed quite full. It seemed to press upon his trunk so that he could hardly use his lungs: it seemed to close in on his skull like a crown of intolerable weight so that for a space he could hardly think."
Faced with this situation Ransom begins to ask the question as to what he can possibly do to help in this monumental situation. He doubted that he was the representative of Maleldil or that he could stand up to the evil one-- now possessing and using the body of the character Weston. Yet, all his arguments were flung back in his face and in the end he realized he had to do something or there would be the entrance of evil into Perelandra and the necessity of another Ransom taking place to deliver Venus.
In the end Ransom decides to take on the Un-Man (The body of Weston possessed) in hand to hand combat, in a fight to the death.
Commentary: When faced with the seeming victories of evil in our own current day perhaps you have oft thrown up your hands and asked what you could possibly do? Perhaps it seems to you like evil is winning and that perhaps God is nowhere present or at best an uninterested observer watching to see how things will play out. Maybe your own life is being stretched to the breaking point as you feel a darkness that is "packed quite full." What can you do? Here are some options:
1. Do nothing. Give up in despair.
2. Pray like crazy with little hope of the good side winning out. This is like number one above in some ways!
3. Pray and tell God that things have to work out according to your plan or you will sulk!
3. Pray with faith being willing to get out of the boat and get wet or to get dirty in the mud, taking on the enemy in practical combat. This would include a joyful relinquishment of all things to God, the return of thankfulness, and certain actions of living on your part-- and the possibility of God doing something amazingly different that is better than your wildest dreams.
Consider: Psalm 126:6 "He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him." Those crushed with the difficulties of life in this passage are actually still sowing seed IN THE MIDST OF THEIR WEEPING--still working, still sowing, still living-- rather than giving in to despair and doing nothing at all. Do that! Pray, Trust, and Go forward sowing in spite of what is going on around you-- then you will have a joyful time of reaping in your future.
Remember, the enemy wants you totally sidelined as in option 1 above. He hates option 2 but if he can make you a worried and hopeless pray-er all the better. Option 3 is quite acceptable to the enemy. However, if you will go all-in with God in total relinquishment and submission with joyful living then the doom of the enemy is at hand. Remember this about Jesus:
1. He prayed with loud cries and tears to His Father that the cup of wrath to be poured out on the cross might pass Him by. He was hoping for another way.
2. Jesus not only said but meant "Your will be done, not mine."
3. Our Lord went in full joy to the cross (taking on the enemy) due to the "joy that was set before Him." His trust and confidence in the midst of absolute darkness resulted in a joy unspeakable for Himself and others across the ages.
"The Enemy was using Third Degree methods. It seemed to Ransom that, but for a miracle, the Lady's resistance was bound to be worn away in the end. Why did no miracle come? Or rather, why no miracle on the right side? For the presence of the Enemy was in itself a kind of Miracle. Had Hell a prerogative to work wonders? Why did Heaven work none? Not for the first time he found himself questioning Divine Justice. He could not understand why Maleldil should remain absent when the Enemy was there in person."
"But while he was thinking this, as suddenly and sharply as if the solid darkness about him had spoken with articulate voice, he knew that Maleldil was not absent. . . the darkness was packed quite full. It seemed to press upon his trunk so that he could hardly use his lungs: it seemed to close in on his skull like a crown of intolerable weight so that for a space he could hardly think."
Faced with this situation Ransom begins to ask the question as to what he can possibly do to help in this monumental situation. He doubted that he was the representative of Maleldil or that he could stand up to the evil one-- now possessing and using the body of the character Weston. Yet, all his arguments were flung back in his face and in the end he realized he had to do something or there would be the entrance of evil into Perelandra and the necessity of another Ransom taking place to deliver Venus.
In the end Ransom decides to take on the Un-Man (The body of Weston possessed) in hand to hand combat, in a fight to the death.
Commentary: When faced with the seeming victories of evil in our own current day perhaps you have oft thrown up your hands and asked what you could possibly do? Perhaps it seems to you like evil is winning and that perhaps God is nowhere present or at best an uninterested observer watching to see how things will play out. Maybe your own life is being stretched to the breaking point as you feel a darkness that is "packed quite full." What can you do? Here are some options:
1. Do nothing. Give up in despair.
2. Pray like crazy with little hope of the good side winning out. This is like number one above in some ways!
3. Pray and tell God that things have to work out according to your plan or you will sulk!
3. Pray with faith being willing to get out of the boat and get wet or to get dirty in the mud, taking on the enemy in practical combat. This would include a joyful relinquishment of all things to God, the return of thankfulness, and certain actions of living on your part-- and the possibility of God doing something amazingly different that is better than your wildest dreams.
Consider: Psalm 126:6 "He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him." Those crushed with the difficulties of life in this passage are actually still sowing seed IN THE MIDST OF THEIR WEEPING--still working, still sowing, still living-- rather than giving in to despair and doing nothing at all. Do that! Pray, Trust, and Go forward sowing in spite of what is going on around you-- then you will have a joyful time of reaping in your future.
Remember, the enemy wants you totally sidelined as in option 1 above. He hates option 2 but if he can make you a worried and hopeless pray-er all the better. Option 3 is quite acceptable to the enemy. However, if you will go all-in with God in total relinquishment and submission with joyful living then the doom of the enemy is at hand. Remember this about Jesus:
1. He prayed with loud cries and tears to His Father that the cup of wrath to be poured out on the cross might pass Him by. He was hoping for another way.
2. Jesus not only said but meant "Your will be done, not mine."
3. Our Lord went in full joy to the cross (taking on the enemy) due to the "joy that was set before Him." His trust and confidence in the midst of absolute darkness resulted in a joy unspeakable for Himself and others across the ages.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
"Follow Me!: The Gracious and Loving Command of Jesus
In The Cost of Discipleship Bonhoeffer writes: "On two separate occasions Peter received the call, 'Follow me.; It was the first and last word Jesus spoke to the disciple. A whole life lies between these two calls. The first occasion was by the lake of Gennesareth, when Peter left his nets and his craft and followed Jesus at his word. The second occasion is when the Risen Lord finds him back again at his old trade. Once again it is by the lake of Gennesareth, and once again the call is: "Follow me.""
Commentary: Is it not indeed true that the profound call to follow Jesus is a command to be obeyed based on the call of Jesus rather than an invitation to be considered, weighed and possibly accepted? As Bonhoeffer says: Peter, James, John, and Matthew all got the same command and they instantly obeyed. Why? Because they recognized they were in the presence of one who had the authority to demand their life. They immediately left everything and followed, having no idea where Jesus was going to lead them. No debate, no hesitation. And how gracious that our Lord may repeat the command in our own journey--perhaps on the tail of various trials and failures in life. It is a call of love and it is a call that demands that we also drop "our life" and jump with both feet into His.
I cannot help but be moved by the second call to follow given to Peter in John 21--following Peter's rejection and denial of Jesus. There is a beach party and Jesus and Peter go for a restoration walk on the beach. (Note that Jesus often did His most serious work one on one, away from others.) Well, John is following them. Is he trying to eaves-drop or is He just hoping to be close to His Lord also? Whatever the case, Peter has been given some insight into his future prior to his second "Follow Me!" And so Peter, knowing John is following, asks Jesus, "What about John?" And Peter gets the answer we all get when we are considering what others are going to do. Jesus says, "Don't consider or concern yourself with ___________. I am commanding YOU to follow me. And you must follow, no matter what others do."
Has Jesus told you to follow Him? What are you going to do? Will you obey in the face of not knowing where He might take you or what others might be doing?
Commentary: Is it not indeed true that the profound call to follow Jesus is a command to be obeyed based on the call of Jesus rather than an invitation to be considered, weighed and possibly accepted? As Bonhoeffer says: Peter, James, John, and Matthew all got the same command and they instantly obeyed. Why? Because they recognized they were in the presence of one who had the authority to demand their life. They immediately left everything and followed, having no idea where Jesus was going to lead them. No debate, no hesitation. And how gracious that our Lord may repeat the command in our own journey--perhaps on the tail of various trials and failures in life. It is a call of love and it is a call that demands that we also drop "our life" and jump with both feet into His.
I cannot help but be moved by the second call to follow given to Peter in John 21--following Peter's rejection and denial of Jesus. There is a beach party and Jesus and Peter go for a restoration walk on the beach. (Note that Jesus often did His most serious work one on one, away from others.) Well, John is following them. Is he trying to eaves-drop or is He just hoping to be close to His Lord also? Whatever the case, Peter has been given some insight into his future prior to his second "Follow Me!" And so Peter, knowing John is following, asks Jesus, "What about John?" And Peter gets the answer we all get when we are considering what others are going to do. Jesus says, "Don't consider or concern yourself with ___________. I am commanding YOU to follow me. And you must follow, no matter what others do."
Has Jesus told you to follow Him? What are you going to do? Will you obey in the face of not knowing where He might take you or what others might be doing?
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