"The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the LORD."
Reading this passage about God's relationship with Israel, I can't help but be reminded of two things:
1. My own repeated failures--the times I've broken his covenant even though he has loved me perfectly and completely in spite of myself.
2. Forrest Gump.
OK, I probably should explain the second one, I guess. One of the many things I loved about that movie was Forrest's unwaivering love for Jenny--no matter what she did or didn't do to reciprocate. She ran away to other men, to drugs, to countless other "failures," yet through it all, Forrest was always there for her, always ready to take her back, no questions asked.
Remember this scene?
Reading this passage about God's relationship with Israel, I can't help but be reminded of two things:
1. My own repeated failures--the times I've broken his covenant even though he has loved me perfectly and completely in spite of myself.
2. Forrest Gump.
OK, I probably should explain the second one, I guess. One of the many things I loved about that movie was Forrest's unwaivering love for Jenny--no matter what she did or didn't do to reciprocate. She ran away to other men, to drugs, to countless other "failures," yet through it all, Forrest was always there for her, always ready to take her back, no questions asked.
Remember this scene?
In a sense, God's love for me doesn't seem "smart." It's not rational. It doesn't make sense. It's crazy. I run away. And he pursues me. I spit in his face. And he pursues me. I pursue false gods. And he pursues me. I indulge my self. And he pursues me. That's insane, at least in our way of looking at things. Yeah, Forrest "got it" when it came to knowing what love is.
And so much more God loves me. I just wish I could really, truly, and honestly take hold of that. I know it intellectually. I've taught it to many. But is it real to me? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Is it real to you? Do you sense it? Do you live in it and bask in it? If you don't, join with me in asking God for a greater understanding and appreciation of how deep and wide and long and high and vast is the love of Christ--how un-smart and foolish it really is:
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."[c]
--Ben
And so much more God loves me. I just wish I could really, truly, and honestly take hold of that. I know it intellectually. I've taught it to many. But is it real to me? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Is it real to you? Do you sense it? Do you live in it and bask in it? If you don't, join with me in asking God for a greater understanding and appreciation of how deep and wide and long and high and vast is the love of Christ--how un-smart and foolish it really is:
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."[c]
20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. (I Corinthians 1:18-25)
--Ben
2 comments:
Ben,
Thank you for your words of wisdom. Working at a university has shown me how foolish we humans are. I see people who think they have it "together" reject and deny the love of Christ because it seems foolish to them. I too find it hard to believe that he continues to pursue me after all my failures and breaking of my covenant with him, but I feel confident He is what gives my life meaning and purpose...that His love is much bigger that I can even imagine. Recently, David had a conversation with a friend down the street. During this conversation, the friend remarked that a theology professor once asked his class what the difference was between Christianity and all other religions. He remarked that people gave the standard answers and the professor finally stated that the difference is: In all other religions humans are reaching up to God. However, in Christianity, God is reaching down to meet us. If I hear you right...this could sum up what you are feeling today.
Blessings,
Holly
Heh. That's exactly it, Holly. I recall Tom Wilson saying pretty much exactly that to me and a group of my friends when he spoke to us at Frontier Ranch (a Young Life camp in Colorado) in 1987. The image he used was a vastly deep pit that all of mankind is in. Religion is a deity standing above the pit and telling us what to do to get out of the pit. Relationship with Christ is God coming down into the pit and pulling us out.
--Ben
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