Fidelity

The face that Moses had begged to see-was forbidden to see-was slapped bloody(Exodus 33:19-20). The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth’s rebellion now twisted around His own brow….

“On your back with you!” One raises a mallet to sink in the spike. But the soldier’s heart must continue pumping as he readies the prisoner’s wrist. Someone must sustain the soldier’s life minute by minute, for no man has this power on his own. Who supplies breath to his lungs? Who gives energy his cells? Who holds his molecules together? Only by the Son do “all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). The victim wills that the soldier live on- he grants the warriors continued exisistence. The man swings.

As the man swings, the Son recalls how he and the Father first designed the medial nerve of the human forearm- the sensations it would be capable of. The design proves so flawless-the nerves perform exquisitely. “Up you go!” They lift the cross. God is on display in his underwear and can scarcely breathe.

But these pains are a mere warm-up to his other and growing dread. He begins to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during this day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl upon his spotless being-the living excrement from our souls. The apple of his Father’s eye turns brown with rot.

His Father! He must face his Father like this!

From heaven the Father now rouses Himself like a lion disturbed, shakes his mane, and roars against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of his hot breath. But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky. The Son does not recognize these eyes.

“Son of Man!” Why have you behaved so? You have cheated, lusted, stolen, gossiped- murdered, envied, hated, lied. You have cursed, robbed, overspent, overeaten- fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed. Oh the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned! Who has ever so ignored the poor, so played the coward, so belittled my name? Have you ever held your razor tongue? What a self-righteous, pitiful drunk- you, who molest young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques, and mock your parents. Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons? Does the list never end! Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing pimp- buying politicans, practicing exhortation, filming pornography, accepting bribes. You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded in slaves-relishing each morsel and bragging about it all. I hate, loathe these things in you! Disgust for everything about you consumes me! Can you not feel my wrath?

This was written by Steven Estes and Joni Eareckson Tada.. in the book When God Weeps.

When I read this I was so overwhelmed by all the sin that Jesus literally took upon himself. Naming all of them off made it so real to me and especially reading through them and knowing some of them that I have commited. I know that covers all of us. Jesus took it all. But there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ! When reading this I also thought about those instances in life where you get blamed for something you didn’t do. Even as stupid as when you were little and you got blamed for breaking something or taking something that you didn’t break or didn’t take. But when you’re in that position, it is not fair! And even then you’re going to be bitter at the person who really was at fault. But not with Jesus He still loves us and wants us to come to Him! WE did this to Him! GUILTY.  There is no reason for this grace outside of God’s immense LOVE for us. This is huge, there is nothing more beautiful. There are no words that can describe it.

I’m leaving for Lebanon soon. I should be more prepared. I should know more about the culture, language, religions, I should be in expert mode right now for what I could possibly encounter. I may not have all the knowledge of their religion and their bible but I do have the Holy Spirit. I do have the love of Jesus literally living inside of me. I have been equipped to love and influence. 1 Corinthians 13:1 says, “ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” I can point others more toward Christ and my life is a real testimony of God’s saving grace. I can show them the only God that loves them, delights in them, wants a relationship with them, and wants to spend an eternity with them. No other god can top that. My God is the King of Kings. And He wants to dine with His most treasured creation-man.