I have another
blog, a private one, called Serendipitous Intersections, which features one
post every day of the year. The gist of the blog is, it's a melding of three
other 365-day "devotionals", one the famous work of Oswald Chambers
and two others containing the work of George MacDonald. What I do is, I
juxtapose the daily readings, usually in excerpt form but sometimes in whole,
from the three sources and then add a heading of my own intended to unite them
in a single concept or angle. Here in Armenia
(Based on my May 18th post in Serendipitous Intersections: "Let
him who has ears to hear, eyes to see, a heart to open...."-- which is
itself based on the May 18th readings in "My Utmost for His Highest"
[Chambers], "Diary of an Old Soul" [MacDonald], and reading #139 in
"365 Daily Readings from George MacDonald", [MacDonald, edited by
C.S. Lewis].)
This morning
I want to talk about "The Beauty of the Life of God". Let's begin by
reading Matthew 6:25-34 (read).
"Behold
the lilies of the field... the birds of the air... your heavenly Father cares
for them... do not worry over what you will wear, or eat...." Can these
words be true? Really true? Can we rely
on them? Is Jesus asserting that this is the fact and reality of life, the
genuine order of the universe? Or... are these just poetic sentiments
pronounced to comfort and soothe us?
This part of
the Sermon on the Mount is classically quoted as an example of the
"philosophy of Christ" - a philosophy of simplicity, poverty,
pacifism, even "Christian communism."
Take note,
however, why Jesus
speaks these words. See what it says in verse 25: "For this reason I
say to you...."
Everything Christ says
about not worrying, everything He
says about the lilies of the field and birds of the air, everything He says about
how the heavenly Father knows our needs, everything He
says about seeking first the kingdom
of God
All these
beautiful words--and they are beautiful--constitute
an absolute, yes, a severe summons to service. These words are not only true words; they are
the non-negotiable conditions of our service in the army of Christ. The people
hearing Jesus that day knew very
well that this startling man from Nazareth
That's why Matthew tells
us: "When Jesus
had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had
authority, and not as their teachers of the law." (Matt. 7: 28,29) We read this wrong if
we imagine the people milling about, exchanging commentary, "My, my, that
was certainly an impressive sermon; I'd say this young man knows a thing or
two." The people were not "impressed" by Jesus'
"expertise". That's not what Matthew is talking about when he says
they were amazed at
His authority. The people
were stunned, shocked, speechless, because Jesus'
teaching was an announcement of
supreme, absolute authority vested in Himself, over heaven and earth, forever
and ever. The same "Sermon on the Mount" that contains beautiful phrases
about lilies of the field and birds of the air is the "Sermon on the
Mount" in which Jesus categorically announces that on the last day mankind
will turn to Him, crying,
"Lord! Lord!" That's the
authority that astounded the hearers that day; moreover, it's the authority,
and the command to submit to it, that
most of those listening that day finally rejected.
All the words
and deeds of Christ are beautiful with the "beauty of the life of
God." But this is not the kind of
beauty that exists to charm and inspire us to sunny optimism. No, it’s the Beauty
that drives a man like Paul to tell believers: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12: 1). It’s the kind of Beauty that compels
you to make a total sacrifice of your life as the only possible, fitting, worthy response. It’s all or nothing. “You’re
in the army now….”
Many people
will reject, and slander, and try to destroy the beauty of the life of God,
exactly as they did when it walked among us incarnate in Jesus. And when we face such rejection and hatred, that’s
when Jesus’ words about the Father’s love and care stop being charming notions
and become a lifeline we desperately cling to for survival.
“Behold the
lilies of the field… the birds of the air… they neither toil nor spin… do not
worry over what to eat, what to wear… your heavenly Father knows what you need….”
Can these words be true, can they be real? Lord, tell us, is this Reality, the way things actually are? Can we take Your words as the absolute word from Heaven above, and stake our lives on them?
Jesus answers: "“My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." (John 7:17)
