Sunday, March 13, 2011
Jesus
I am a Jesus follower. This year I am reading the One Year Bible, which is a bible designed to get one through the whole bible in one year. Each day the chronological reading includes a portion of Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs, and takes about 15-20 minutes to read. It is a new experience to read it this way. The ponderous restrictions, regulations and rules of the Old Testament read in deep contrast against the light and moving stories of Jesus' life. In the Old, God was always starting over, wiping out whole populations, destroying by plagues, setting the rules breakers on fire. The gap between the holiness of God and the unholiness of man seemed to be too far to ever cross without endless preparation, ritual, sacrifice, intercession. But each time Abraham and Moses begged God for forgiveness, a change of heart, God softened, made accommodation, forgave. Then there is Jesus, God's son, who rebuked the soulless priestly rituals, instead magnifying relationship. Leaning into the love of God for us, His purpose for us to love Him and each other. Sacrificing himself for us so that God no longer needed to start over. He set us on fire, but with His own Spirit, so we can be safe in Him.
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Yes, yes, yes. We listened to Genesis 2 this morning (it's Lent 1 today) and then Matthew about the temptations of Christ -- what a contrast those two stories make. But the leaving of the Garden of Eden through disobedience thrusts people into a life long search for the way Home. Not sure we would get there otherwise...The long defeat, in Farmer's words. And Jesus makes that bearable, unavoidable, and Holy. Love you so. My worms died today suddenly. 10,000. My own personal meltdown. Don't know why, really, but suspect it has something to do with me...So, I get to start again...or just buy fertilizer at Home Depot...I think I will try again with the worms. God forgives me.
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