Flesh And Bone Jesus
Many people relegate Jesus to the world of abstract thought. Spending the bulk of their time engaged in Star Wars like spiritual battles as they contend for the faith. I also have spent more than my share of time in the abstract world of theological thought and fought many spiritual battles in cyberspace. However, when the reality of sin and its consequences comes crashing in an abstract Jesus isn't enough. Even when we suffer because of the sin of another, theology and doctrine are not enough to sustain when your heart is being crushed. It is in these times that the Jesus Who was God but suffered as a man, the true Jesus, is the one we need. When the unspeakable has happened and there is no one to turn to and no one to bear the painful burden of despair, Jesus is there. He understands the gut wrenching pain with empathy gained only from experience. He is there to comfort and supply with that which enables endurance and even to love the one who's sin has broken your heart and threatens destruction of all you hold dear. In Him, no confidence is broken and there is nothing too awful for Him to hear. In His own flesh, He has already born the burden of all sin; even the one at present, the one with awful consequence that seems too great to bear.
Jesus, Who came to earth in flesh and bone, shed His own blood and bore the awful consequence of the sins of us all. He is here with us now, in the present, meeting our need where the rubber meets the road; meeting our need in the reality we now live out in flesh and bone. He is not distant in some far away place but as near as our own breath with the strength and the comfort that we need to carry on. Not only does He give us all that we need to endure but in Him, we will have victory over this world filled with the excruciating pain born by the sin of mankind.
Today, my heart is broken and I am filled with dread at what may come. In the silence of the waiting for the other shoe to drop, I take His hand. He pulls me to Him in understanding, in comforting embrace. In Him, my heart is already being mended as in His loving presence, I find healing and the courage to face whatever may come.
Jesus, Who came to earth in flesh and bone, shed His own blood and bore the awful consequence of the sins of us all. He is here with us now, in the present, meeting our need where the rubber meets the road; meeting our need in the reality we now live out in flesh and bone. He is not distant in some far away place but as near as our own breath with the strength and the comfort that we need to carry on. Not only does He give us all that we need to endure but in Him, we will have victory over this world filled with the excruciating pain born by the sin of mankind.
Today, my heart is broken and I am filled with dread at what may come. In the silence of the waiting for the other shoe to drop, I take His hand. He pulls me to Him in understanding, in comforting embrace. In Him, my heart is already being mended as in His loving presence, I find healing and the courage to face whatever may come.
3 Comments:
Let it be!
If our true difficulty in life was managing and organizing ideas, then doctrine and logic would be enough all by themselves to save us. However the hardships of life are doubt, temptation, and the weight of having done wrong. Organized ideas cannot assist us with these issues.
Kierkegaard once noted that relying on ideas or a System to bring meaning in life was like reading a cookbook to starving people. The doctrines are just the recipes, Jesus is the one we really need.
In my opinion this is why John emphasizes that the antichrist is the one who denies Jesus came in the flesh.
I agree. It is easy to turn our faith into knowledge without much effort. Walking through life, hand in hand, with a person that we can't see or touch is another matter. When I was younger, I had to make time to pray but now, I am always praying. I'm constantly engaged in conversation with my Father about everything. That is the difference between faith in Christ Jesus and accepting a code or a philosophy. You know, when Christians argue, it is over doctrine and theology but when we share the reality of Christ in our every day life, there is always agreement.
Hi Joy,
I've been thinking more about your post ... about the confidence which I used to put in my doctrinal distinctions in college. Praise God that He has chosen to speak to us through His Son! May the only doctrines to stand be the ones that send us straight to Jesus.
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