February 11, 2010

Genesis 44

“His life is bound up in the lad’s.” What symbolism is found in those words! Judah, speaking of the relationship between Israel and Benjamin, sums it up that way. Could this not sum up the closeness of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son? Their life is bound up in each other. And yet we don’t want to push the symbolism too far for Jesus clearly said, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” The mystery of the Trinity is indeed too complex for me to handle. Yet, I see a small relationship between Israel & Benjamin and the Father and the Son. There is an intense love relationship between the two.

Here is another piece of symbolism. Judah in this instance becomes a type of Christ. Benjamin is declared guilty for possessing the stolen divination cup. For the love of the father, Judah volunteers to take the place of Benjamin. For the love of the Father, Jesus volunteered to take our place in death and resurrection. Granted Benjamin wasn’t really guilty. But we were really guilty. The death of the Son satisfied the righteous wrath of the Father against our sin and led us into a position to be restored in relationship to the Father. What awesome love. Let it sink down into your soul. The Father loves the Son. The Son loves the Father. The Father loves us. The Son loves us. All that remains is for us to love them and find our delight in them alone! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

Matthew 26:1-25

Sometimes I think that meditating on the glory of God is like riding on a pendulum that swings not in arcs, not in circles, not even in spheres, not even in spheres plus the dimension of time but in spheres plus the dimension of time plus other dimensions which we cannot even conceive. I have a hard time just keeping the arcs in balance. Anyway, a few days after giving the parable that when you have done it for the least of these, you have done it for Jesus, this woman shows up. She wishes to worship the Lord in an extraordinary way. She takes fragrant oil that was probably worth about a year’s wages and poured it upon Jesus’ head. Now, a year’s worth of wages could go a long way in ministering to the “least of these.” Many were indignant at the waste, after all, so many of the “least of these” could have been cared for with the sale of the oil. Jesus rebuked those who were indignant. All of a sudden I feel like I am on the other end of the arc of the pendulum, or maybe even some other dimension.

Some how she caught the teaching of Jesus that in two days He would be crucified and the disciples did not catch the teaching. She understood. The anointing was for His burial. She somehow understood it was for her that Jesus was dying. She glimpsed His glory. She wanted to worship Him extravagantly. Some have been indignant with the church at building elaborate cathedrals while the needs of the poor go unmet. Jesus is sent away as one of the “least of these”. Often times I think their critiques are on target. It seems we are often more interested in building “Christian playgrounds” than taking the Gospel to those who have never heard or ministering to the needs of “the least of these.”

But here is what I think is the balance: No worship expense is a waste if the motivation is 100% to worship and adore Jesus and to minister to Him. Why? Because His glory is so great that He can take that so-called “waste”, which is poured out upon Him, and He can multiply what was poured out so that those who do the pouring can turn around and because of the supply of His glory minister to others. I don’t know. The Scriptures don’t say. But I’d be willing to bet that after the resurrection this woman was a power house in ministering to the “least of these.” What appeared to be a waste became an unbelievable increase because it was completely motivated for the glory of God and not self.

On the other hand, Judas, seeing this, couldn’t take the pendulum ride any longer. He left and sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. How do you value the glory of Jesus? Judas thought he had a bargain at 30 pieces of silver. The woman thought she had a bargain at a year’s worth of wages. Our abandoning ourselves in the worship of Jesus is never a waste. His glory is just too great! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John