March 2, 2009
High in the Sky
There has been an internet phenomenon
sweeping the globe the past couple of years known as Google Earth. Google Earth
allows you to look at many neighborhoods of the world through the eyes of
satellite photography.
The pictures are always somewhat dated
and some areas are not accessible dependent upon the satellite being used and
other considerations such as national security. Nonetheless, it is a fascinating
way to look at the world that could not have been even considered as a
possibility a couple of generations ago. I looked at our community one day and
was able to zoom in enough to see that at the time the satellite passed over our
car was clearly in the driveway.
As fascinating as the view is, it is of
course flawed in that you can only get an overview. I'm sure there is plenty of
technology that lets the satellite operators zoom in much closer but it likely
has been restricted for security reasons.
I think much of the world wants to take
a "Google Earth" view of Jesus. They want to be able to see Him but not close
enough to pose any risks to their lifestyle or deal with Him up close.
They want to see Him as a model of love,
a good moral teacher, one of many ways to God, a wise but very human man or any
one of a plethora of people. They want to see Him as anything but God incarnate
and savior of the world.
To see Jesus up close is unsettling. He
challenges our self righteousness. He attacks our ideas about "religion". He
goes beyond outward experiences and cuts straight to the heart.
To see Jesus up close causes us to make
a decision. What will we do with this man who claims to be the narrow path? How
do we reconcile His exclusive claims in the midst of an inclusive world? How
does our heart measure up to His standards?
To see Jesus up close rather than the
Google Earth Jesus is scary stuff.
Yet, it is only from up close that we
can see His love and compassion. It is only from up close that we can weigh the
merits of His claims. It is from close up that we fall in love with Him and gain
a desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with Him in bringing truth to a dark and
hurting world.
We have to get deep into the Word and
see Him as He has compassion on people and no tolerance for hypocrisy and self
righteousness. It is only then that our hearts can be moved and we can enter
into a personal relationship with Him.
From a distance we cannot hear Him say
things like:
John 14:6-7 NIV
Jesus
answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From
now on, you do know him and have seen him."
John 8:11b NIV
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of
sin."
John 11:43-44 NIV
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The
dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth
around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him
go."
Mark 13:2 NIV
"Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will
be left on another; everyone will be thrown down."
Now I know that those verses don't all
go together, you need context to understand them. To get the context you have to
get in close and see what is going on. You can't get the context from the
satellite perspective. You need to walk the dusty roads with Him, you need to
relate to Him, you need to know Him through His Word to gain a true
understanding of these scriptures.
Until next time, may you get up close
and personal with the Living God.
Under His Wing!
Darrel Mason