One of the byproducts of reading the Bible in the Year is having to read passages that make me very uncomfortable. Some of them I have read before. Some of them I WAS supposed to have read and skipped over. Some, I knew nothing about and have cringed reading them now. We are 1/3 of the way through and I think and I think I can honestly say, I have spent more time with the uncomfortable passages than I have with the ‘love and light’ stuff.
Today’s passage is an uncomfortable one. The Jesus here is not compassionate, not understanding, not a healer. He is a dye in the wool prophet and his prophecy is not a good one. Alfred made the comment a few days ago that Jesus was named for Joshua and that is true. In our OT passage, Joshua makes the statement (vs. 19), ‘You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. ‘ Joshua knew that the Children of Israel would find other gods and worship them. And he prophesies the bad stuff that will happen in generalities. Jesus is graphic. “You will be betrayed even by parents…Jerusalem will be trampled on….men will faint from terror “. Scary stuff. Uncomfortable stuff.
Most commentaries say this passage was meant to prepare the disciples for the destruction of Jerusalem. I am going to take a different tack. I think this passage is meant for us. It costs to follow Jesus. Usually, in our snug little worlds, the cost is low. Maybe some parties are missed because you think things may get a little wild. Maybe some friends drop you because you are ‘too religious’ and spend too much time at church and too little time at the lake.
But I think Jesus is saying that there will come a time when the cost is high. Like your life high. If you choose him, they may kill you for it. Those two kids killed that girl in Columbine for being a Jesus girl. There are missionaries and aid workers who get killed for being Jesus people. But picking Jesus means that he is on your side. They may kill the body but he has your soul.
Let’s hope that when the end comes, we pick right. And that, my fellow Bible readers, is why it makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know that I will.
Proverbs 13:20-23
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Watch your friends. Smart, caring, compassionate. Interesting, funny, loving. Big check. Stupid, self-centered, one dimensional, mean. Not so great.
What about your spouse or partner? Another uncomfortable silence in blog world.
It is prom season here at the McAdam household. Matthew ‘s was last week. Cole’s is tonight. Both of them have lovely young women as their girlfriends.
But lovely fades. Sometimes, it is replaced by true inner and outer beauty. Sometimes it is not. I pray that my sons choose wisely and look deeply at the true attributes of the ones they choose as life partners because if having a bad friend brings harm, what does having a bad wife do???
I have had a plaque in my house for many years and here in our Joshua reading it is. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Easier said than done. It probably looks more like we serve Apple Computer. So much "stuff" distracts me and seems more important. I'm going to look up at that plaque more often. He is my heart's desire though my actions do not show it.
ReplyDelete