"Just as there were many who were appalled at him - his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-" Isaiah 52:14 NIV
Many were appalled at him. The passage seems to be referring to the physical appearance of the Saviour but something doesn't quite fit. Many people have physical disfigurements but his form is "marred beyond human likeness" as though somehow he is not like other men. Thinking about this, I wonder if it can be taken symbolically to mean that his teaching and presence were appalling to the natural man. God's holiness and goodness is presented to the world but it is viewed as something horrible. How many people recoil in disgust if you try to speak to them about Jesus? How many times is Christianity or the Bible ridiculed and despised? Jesus is so fundamentally different from man that there is no natural affinity between them. The sinful nature of man hates God, and lies to people saying that the love of God is evil. All the disfigurement is in the eyes of the beholder.
I pray that God will give me the right sight to see his holiness and love, and praise him for it.
I pray that I will never consider his essential teachings to be a burden, but that I will see them as his precious gift. I pray that the tawdry trinkets of this world will not distract me from the real beauty of my Saviour.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Friday, April 10, 2020
Unbounded Love
"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted." Isaiah 53:4 NIV
The Messiah is prophesied to take our infirmities upon himself. Our fears, our weaknesses, our doubts, our physical ailments are gathered up by the Saviour and become his burden. Our heart-break, our losses, our disappointments are loaded up on the shoulders of the Saviour. Yet as he does this, people think his crucifixion is a punishment from God, that God was angry with him, that God deliberately hurt him. But it is our sins that lead to death, even the death of our Saviour. His unbounded love for us carries all our pain and suffering even as we do not thank him for it, or even recognize it. In spite of our disregard for him, he still died on the cross for us because he loves us unreservedly. His nature is love and he only acts in accordance with his nature.
I pray that I will remember the depth and strength of Jesus's infinite love for me. The cross so graphically shows the result of our sins - the darkness, cruelty, suffering and death that come out of sin . Jesus hates to see our rebellious spirits crashing into evil so he stands in the way of our darkness and overcomes it with his love.
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted." Isaiah 53:4 NIV
The Messiah is prophesied to take our infirmities upon himself. Our fears, our weaknesses, our doubts, our physical ailments are gathered up by the Saviour and become his burden. Our heart-break, our losses, our disappointments are loaded up on the shoulders of the Saviour. Yet as he does this, people think his crucifixion is a punishment from God, that God was angry with him, that God deliberately hurt him. But it is our sins that lead to death, even the death of our Saviour. His unbounded love for us carries all our pain and suffering even as we do not thank him for it, or even recognize it. In spite of our disregard for him, he still died on the cross for us because he loves us unreservedly. His nature is love and he only acts in accordance with his nature.
I pray that I will remember the depth and strength of Jesus's infinite love for me. The cross so graphically shows the result of our sins - the darkness, cruelty, suffering and death that come out of sin . Jesus hates to see our rebellious spirits crashing into evil so he stands in the way of our darkness and overcomes it with his love.
Friday, April 3, 2020
Healing the Blind
"He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village...Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly." Mark 8:23, 25 NIV
The miracles performed by Jesus are not only records of people being healed, but they are also allegories of spiritual matters. Here we have a blind man who is brought to Jesus for healing. The first thing Jesus does is lead the man out of the village, away from his peers, away from the community where he feels comfortable. Alone with Jesus, he has his sight restored and he sees things clearly. It is often when we are alone with Jesus, away from other influences, that our spiritual sight is restored . Even our Christian friends and family can sway us to follow ideas that are not in line with the Bible. Listening to the Holy Spirit in the quiet of private time with Jesus helps us to clearly see and assess everything in our lives, in the lives of friends and family, in the happenings of the world. Outside the village, holding Jesus hand, is a place of light and understanding.
I pray that I will look for opportunities to walk outside my village holding Jesus hand. I pray that I will listen wholeheartedly to his word in the Bible and let the Holy Spirit be my teacher. I thank God for his gift of revelation and his desire for us to see his goodness, his love, his creativity clearly.
The miracles performed by Jesus are not only records of people being healed, but they are also allegories of spiritual matters. Here we have a blind man who is brought to Jesus for healing. The first thing Jesus does is lead the man out of the village, away from his peers, away from the community where he feels comfortable. Alone with Jesus, he has his sight restored and he sees things clearly. It is often when we are alone with Jesus, away from other influences, that our spiritual sight is restored . Even our Christian friends and family can sway us to follow ideas that are not in line with the Bible. Listening to the Holy Spirit in the quiet of private time with Jesus helps us to clearly see and assess everything in our lives, in the lives of friends and family, in the happenings of the world. Outside the village, holding Jesus hand, is a place of light and understanding.
I pray that I will look for opportunities to walk outside my village holding Jesus hand. I pray that I will listen wholeheartedly to his word in the Bible and let the Holy Spirit be my teacher. I thank God for his gift of revelation and his desire for us to see his goodness, his love, his creativity clearly.
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