Posted on 11.03.08 8:01AM under Live Your Journey
“Mac, you really don’t understand. You try to make sense of the world in which you live with a very small and incomplete picture of reality. It is like looking at a parade through the tiny knot-hole of hurt, pain self-centeredness, and power; and believing you are on your own and insignificant. All of these contain powerful lies.” (The Shack, William P. Young)
Knowing that His time on earth was drawing to an end, Jesus needed to make some things very clear to His disciples. The fact was, Jesus was to be murdered within the next 24 hours. The disciples didn’t know what was about to happen, but Jesus did – so He did everything He could to prepare them. Not merely warn them, but encourage them, give them hope. And Lord knows they would need every ounce of hope to weather the storm that was about to hit in all its fury.
So in John 14 Jesus shares, encourages, warns, and offers hope. It is amazing to see that Jesus’ primary concern was for His disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)
And then Jesus goes on to share what is for me one of the most hopeful statements in all of scripture – yet one that I struggle to believe the most:
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18)
Really? Because it doesn’t always feel like that. More often than not I do feel alone. It’s hard to believe I am not on my own and insignificant …
But things are shifting inside my heart and I am beginning to take Him at His word – the words He spoke in scripture as well as the words I sense Him speaking in my heart. I have learned that I must start with a foundational conviction of Jesus of Nazareth. For me that conviction goes something like this: He is Who He says He is and He is Good and He does love me.
Consider again the context of Jesus saying these things to His disciples on the eve of His betrayal by Judas. Note whom He was concerned about: His disciples, His children. Also we must realize that He knew exactly what was going to happen to Him. He had known all along that Judas would betray, He knew that He would be tried, beaten, and hung on a cross. But the disciples were pretty much clueless. They had an inkling, but little more …
Sounds familiar doesn’t it? I mean Jesus knows what is going to happen today, tomorrow, and a week from next Thursday. Me? Well, pretty much clueless. I think about the future all the time (usually with a fair amount of angst). But Jesus knows, He cares, and He wants to walk with me through each day. He does not leave me as an orphan – rather He longs for an intimate relationship with me, as His child, His son.
I must start here, with this as my true conviction. Then I need to learn to ask Him for help, guidance, and direction (I have learned it is good to ask specific questions and allow Him to answer that specific question – He does still speak, really! And learning to tune in to the voice of God is one of the most wonderful treasures we as have as His children).
I’m back to Young’s fictional novel, “The Shack”: and I am wondering, does the God of the Universe really love me so much that He would orchestrate such an intimate meeting with the Trinity, like He did for Mac, to bring about my healing? This is a very important question to consider …
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Posted by jt on 11.03.08 8:43 am
Yes, He loves you that much. And the measure of that love is not determined by whether or not He orchestrates an intimate meeting with you and the Trinity. But I suppose you’ll have to ask Him if it’s required to bring about your healing…