January 21, 2013
Off With Their Ear!
Newsweek magazine is
celebrating the swearing in of Obama for a second term. The cover of their
on-line version of the magazine shows the President looking reverently up into
the heavens with the headline proclaiming, “The Second Coming”. My spiritual
blood boiled, but when I turned it down to a simmer, I thought more rationally.
The bottom line is that the magazine is trying to sell more magazines and any battle
belongs not to me, but to the Lord. On the night Jesus was arrested He reminded
his companions that their defending swords were not the right response. “Do you think I cannot call on my Father,
and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
(Matt 26:53 NIV).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Gail;
-----It is odd, though, that Peter was carrying a sword. In fact, shortly before being crucified, Jesus said to His disciples, “And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one.” (Luke 22:36b) When Jesus had sent the seventy before Him, He told them to take nothing. After pointing out that they lacked nothing regardless, now He tells them to take their purses and stuff, including swords. Then He says the scripture must be fulfilled that He would be reckoned with transgressors. Maybe the swords have something to do with that. But again, maybe the being reckoned with transgressors emerges from his disciples needing to do what everyone else does: keep available a supply of money and other things, including a sword, for survival because the world is a mess in which they must deal.
-----So, although the battle does belong to the Lord, the mere nature of being servants engages us as well. Our part is certainly not what wins the battle. But it effects the battle. And although slicing off an ear was not the appropriate thing for the battle when Jesus was being arrested, it might be quite appropriate when your child is being molested. We have to remember that there are a lot of circumstances to each situation, and every circumstance has some bearing on what response to the situation is right or wrong. Even though two situations might indeed be quite similar, a drastically different circumstance of each might call for drastically different reponses to each. The circumstances at the focus of Peter’s situation where entirely unique: Jesus was being taken to our life saving event. Defense of any sort was not proper. No other situation will be like this one. Then the proper responses will not always be the same, either.
-----I’m not sure if I’m trying to turn my boiling, spiritual blood down to a simmer or escalate my rationality to the graceful control of its boiling resource. I want to opt for the latter, but it might mean more work. Yuck! I know that I am engaged in this battle as a servant, so I have a piece to do. That Newsweek wants to sell more magazines is a circumstance of this situation. But I think it better fleshes out to their wanting to sell more propaganda. There are many subtle messages in shouting “Second Coming” under a picture of one of the world’s most narcissistic and powerful people. Lo, some are completely not what Newsweek would like. One might be rather prophetic. Under the picture of this ripe, little grape is a statement of what time is quite near. And my, when I saw that picture of arrogance, I could almost feel the thunderous thumping of the Lord’s feet against the floor of the wine press! So, as a servant, I’ll join the battle, probably not to chop off any ears, but to whisper into them the hidden truth of that Newsweek cover shot.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
Post a Comment