"Will you let me save you?"
The question comes in the middle of a stream of thoughts of how I would handle my family being threatened and/or attacked. It is something that I have been thinking a lot of lately. Not because I feel like something is going to happen or that we are in any danger. But because along the path of becoming like Him, I am becoming increasingly aware of how much I depend on my own strength - and it helps me to extrapolate concepts into extreme circumstances so that I can better understand my present condition. Thus, I have been exploring scenarios in which it would hard to surrender my strength.
Violence is a solution that comes easily to my mind. I think that I know what I am capable of doing. I know that I would be willing to lay down my life to save my family. I know what I would be willing to do to anyone who threatened my family. But I have to wonder, is that the way? Is that the Jesus way?
Jesus was forced into many situations where violence would have been a just answer. There was a time when He was forced to the edge of a cliff by an angry mob and was about to be pushed off. Could he have fought back and yet not sinned? I think so, it would have been self defense. Why didn't He?
In case you are not familiar with this little story of Jesus being backed up against the edge of a cliff, you can find it in Luke 4:28-30. The amazing part of the story is that He is surrounded by people that want to kill Him when He "pass[ed] through their midst, [and] went His way." (NASB) The Greek clearly says that He walked through the middle of them. I don't know what comes to your mind when you read this, but for me I see Jesus becoming like a vapor and walking through the mob like He would a wall. He repeats this method of evasion at least three other times in which the wording is close to same - He passed through their midst.
I am tempted to create a step by step guide to how to survive a mob trying to kill me. I tend to look for something solid that I can grab hold of, depend on, and know with absolute certainty. I think that especially when it comes to protecting myself or family I would like to be able to be decisive and know that I either lay down and take a beating, I fight, or I run away - something where I can say, "this is the Jesus way" and do it - He didn't use violence; He turned into vapor and walked through people; something like that. But I think that there is "way" about Jesus to be observed here that is not readily apparent. It is not a "way" that can be quantified or formulated. It is the "way" of the Son fully surrendered to and dependent on His Father. It is a "way" that changes shape and form and method; but yet, is always the same. It is not a doctrine or a principle. It is a relationship; not based on rules but on the heart.
When I start to look at the life of Jesus through this lens, His way begins to become visible. He only did what He saw His Father doing - only said what He heard Him saying. His way is one that takes time. Lots of time. Trust has to be built. Small little steps have to be made before you are able to take big ones - like walking through people.
This is what I sensed when He asked me, "will you let me save you?" I became aware that I would not have the faith or the ability to trust Him in a situation as intense as defending my family, unless I first learn to surrender my strength and trust Him in the small things. When I encounter situations that I am fully capable of handling in my own strength, am I surrendered enough to let Him save me; to let Him guide me; to let Him give me His strength?
I am reminded of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, where his virtue is found wanting due to a messenger of Satan. He pleads with the Lord that this "thorn in the flesh" might be taken from him. It seems that the answer he receives is not what he was looking for: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” I imagine he was looking for the Lord to fix him. He was asking God to restore him to full capacity so that he could live in the way that he felt he should - in his own strength. The thorn in his flesh tore him down and he was asking the Lord to rebuild him. But the Lord answers Him by saying that He will not rebuild Him. Instead, the Lord will fill him with His own strength; with His grace. When I took a look at the greek concerning the Lords response, it confirmed what I felt the Spirit had been speaking to me; "My grace will fill and satisfy and sustain you with unfailing strength. For my strength - the same strength that raised Christ from the dead - finds its proper place in rendering full the heart that is in want of strength and open to receive." (I would explain the greek here but encourage you to look at it yourself at bluletterbible.org)
I think that the way that Jesus modeled this is amazing because He was a man who lacked nothing. There was no lack of virtue. There was no lack of strength, or wisdom, or knowledge, etc. He was complete. He had no thorn in the flesh. He did not need one because He willingly surrendered all that He possessed so that He could embody the fullness of the Father. Consider that the perfect Son of God, when called "good teacher," said that there is no one good except the Father. That is an absurd thing to say. Jesus was good right? He was, but He had so emptied Himself of all that He was, that He was consumed with the Father. He was full. So full that He said, "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Wow.
True strength is not being all that you can be, but being so surrendered that you embody the fullness of the Fathers unlimited and perfect strength. Or as Paul says in verse 10, "For when I am weak, then, I am [truly] strong."
His strength may never look the same in any given situation. But the same strength that conquered the grave and turns Jesus to vapor is the strength that, regardless of the outcome, sustains us in His unfailing love. Which means, maybe I get pushed off the cliff because it is my time, or, maybe I am rescued by angles. Surrender does not secure the outcome that we desire, but it does bring us into the fullness of all that the Father has for us. I do not think that Jesus spent any time worrying about the direction of His life or the outcome of situations like when He was up against the cliff edge. I think that He was consumed with the Father and in perfect peace all of His days. In situations like the cliff, I believe that He was gently led and empowered by His Father, with no effort on His part except the simple surrender that He had been living for the past 30 years. It was nothing new to Him. It was surrender to, trust in, and dependence on His Father. To me it looks like a big deal, but I think that it was all the same to Jesus. "My Father is good and I am completely dependent on Him."
Jesus please lead me in your way, teach me your truth, and show me your life. Help me live a surrendered life and trust in the Fathers goodness just as You did.
The question comes in the middle of a stream of thoughts of how I would handle my family being threatened and/or attacked. It is something that I have been thinking a lot of lately. Not because I feel like something is going to happen or that we are in any danger. But because along the path of becoming like Him, I am becoming increasingly aware of how much I depend on my own strength - and it helps me to extrapolate concepts into extreme circumstances so that I can better understand my present condition. Thus, I have been exploring scenarios in which it would hard to surrender my strength.
Violence is a solution that comes easily to my mind. I think that I know what I am capable of doing. I know that I would be willing to lay down my life to save my family. I know what I would be willing to do to anyone who threatened my family. But I have to wonder, is that the way? Is that the Jesus way?
Jesus was forced into many situations where violence would have been a just answer. There was a time when He was forced to the edge of a cliff by an angry mob and was about to be pushed off. Could he have fought back and yet not sinned? I think so, it would have been self defense. Why didn't He?
In case you are not familiar with this little story of Jesus being backed up against the edge of a cliff, you can find it in Luke 4:28-30. The amazing part of the story is that He is surrounded by people that want to kill Him when He "pass[ed] through their midst, [and] went His way." (NASB) The Greek clearly says that He walked through the middle of them. I don't know what comes to your mind when you read this, but for me I see Jesus becoming like a vapor and walking through the mob like He would a wall. He repeats this method of evasion at least three other times in which the wording is close to same - He passed through their midst.
I am tempted to create a step by step guide to how to survive a mob trying to kill me. I tend to look for something solid that I can grab hold of, depend on, and know with absolute certainty. I think that especially when it comes to protecting myself or family I would like to be able to be decisive and know that I either lay down and take a beating, I fight, or I run away - something where I can say, "this is the Jesus way" and do it - He didn't use violence; He turned into vapor and walked through people; something like that. But I think that there is "way" about Jesus to be observed here that is not readily apparent. It is not a "way" that can be quantified or formulated. It is the "way" of the Son fully surrendered to and dependent on His Father. It is a "way" that changes shape and form and method; but yet, is always the same. It is not a doctrine or a principle. It is a relationship; not based on rules but on the heart.
When I start to look at the life of Jesus through this lens, His way begins to become visible. He only did what He saw His Father doing - only said what He heard Him saying. His way is one that takes time. Lots of time. Trust has to be built. Small little steps have to be made before you are able to take big ones - like walking through people.
This is what I sensed when He asked me, "will you let me save you?" I became aware that I would not have the faith or the ability to trust Him in a situation as intense as defending my family, unless I first learn to surrender my strength and trust Him in the small things. When I encounter situations that I am fully capable of handling in my own strength, am I surrendered enough to let Him save me; to let Him guide me; to let Him give me His strength?
I am reminded of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, where his virtue is found wanting due to a messenger of Satan. He pleads with the Lord that this "thorn in the flesh" might be taken from him. It seems that the answer he receives is not what he was looking for: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” I imagine he was looking for the Lord to fix him. He was asking God to restore him to full capacity so that he could live in the way that he felt he should - in his own strength. The thorn in his flesh tore him down and he was asking the Lord to rebuild him. But the Lord answers Him by saying that He will not rebuild Him. Instead, the Lord will fill him with His own strength; with His grace. When I took a look at the greek concerning the Lords response, it confirmed what I felt the Spirit had been speaking to me; "My grace will fill and satisfy and sustain you with unfailing strength. For my strength - the same strength that raised Christ from the dead - finds its proper place in rendering full the heart that is in want of strength and open to receive." (I would explain the greek here but encourage you to look at it yourself at bluletterbible.org)
I think that the way that Jesus modeled this is amazing because He was a man who lacked nothing. There was no lack of virtue. There was no lack of strength, or wisdom, or knowledge, etc. He was complete. He had no thorn in the flesh. He did not need one because He willingly surrendered all that He possessed so that He could embody the fullness of the Father. Consider that the perfect Son of God, when called "good teacher," said that there is no one good except the Father. That is an absurd thing to say. Jesus was good right? He was, but He had so emptied Himself of all that He was, that He was consumed with the Father. He was full. So full that He said, "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Wow.
True strength is not being all that you can be, but being so surrendered that you embody the fullness of the Fathers unlimited and perfect strength. Or as Paul says in verse 10, "For when I am weak, then, I am [truly] strong."
His strength may never look the same in any given situation. But the same strength that conquered the grave and turns Jesus to vapor is the strength that, regardless of the outcome, sustains us in His unfailing love. Which means, maybe I get pushed off the cliff because it is my time, or, maybe I am rescued by angles. Surrender does not secure the outcome that we desire, but it does bring us into the fullness of all that the Father has for us. I do not think that Jesus spent any time worrying about the direction of His life or the outcome of situations like when He was up against the cliff edge. I think that He was consumed with the Father and in perfect peace all of His days. In situations like the cliff, I believe that He was gently led and empowered by His Father, with no effort on His part except the simple surrender that He had been living for the past 30 years. It was nothing new to Him. It was surrender to, trust in, and dependence on His Father. To me it looks like a big deal, but I think that it was all the same to Jesus. "My Father is good and I am completely dependent on Him."
Jesus please lead me in your way, teach me your truth, and show me your life. Help me live a surrendered life and trust in the Fathers goodness just as You did.
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