Theo;
I am truly grateful to Das Vater for you coming alongside of me, in your journey from here to there.
Each of us, like Jesus, enters into this world with a marvellous plan in place! Take Psalm 139 as a proof text!
Revelation 12:11 speaks to the heart of a life wholly given to God. The end part of that verse,
“… they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death”
…the message it speaks is an echo of Christs call here,
Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
To take up one’s cross is to walk in listening-obedience to the word of God in our hearts.
There is mystery and paradox to be wrestled with here.
A wonderful example of this comes to us in
John 2:4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 his mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
I think I spoke to you about this one day on the bus. I’ve heard a few sermons, read more than a few commentaries on this exchange between our Lord Jesus and Mary, his mother.
I realized the other day – perhaps because of having myself experienced what psychologist call the process of individuation. My own personal journey in this regard, but also that if my children. Another English term that is used is “coming of age.”
For example, when I was around your age, I spoke out loud to God, standing on a street corner, my home was to the left and to my right was the bus stop on the other side of the street that would take me to where I was going. I listed out for God, the things that I absolutely believed in.
1) First of all that he existed that he was real.
2) Next, that he was greater than I, and I lesser than him. This is actually an indication of my own brokenness that I didn’t understand for quite some time I saw everyone in terms of greater than less than. I either looked up to people, or looked down on them, not to persecute them or to feel superior, but to make up for their weaknesses. So there were those that I could be weak with, and those I needed to be strong for. So God was very clearly one that I could be weak with.
3) with these two facts in hand, I then asked him to show me himself in a way that I could understand.
The questions that I posed to him that day were:
a) is this faith given to me by my parents from him
b) is this Bible is word?
That was the day that God had invited me to enter into a relationship with him, that had no “go betweens” and by that I mean of course, Jesus is my mediator, the Holy Spirit is resident in my heart as “God with me” his word, is my resource, and the body, my brothers and sisters in Christ, all enter in, but… look at this image now again,
I myself am in Vater unser im Himmel‘s arms! < I made that, feel free to correct my usage of your language.
So… back to the 30 year old Jesus… we are brought into this scene by “the disciple whom Jesus loved”
- I hope I don’t aside you to sleep LOL
- but think of someone coming Canada to visit their good friend, perhaps their son, Theo… and they decide to surprise him, and they somehow hid themselves… and in that vantage point were to witness the kind of relationship that has developed between you and I. What would they see to understand that we had passed from formal, to a friendship based on mutual respect and admiration, and freedom with one another. Our readily laughing, or crying, or musing with one another. Your habit of stopping me mid sentence to say, “…wait, what does supercalafragilisticexpialadocious mean?” and I pause happily to tangent there until you understand…
So, that’s us here. Jesus is there at a wedding feast, so also is his mother. Joseph isn’t mentioned, he fell out of view entirely, I guess he passed away at some point, we’re never told of such details. And his disciples are there with him. We see in John chapter one examples of how those who were to become the twelve came to be alongside of one another, following the Lord Jesus Christ, the messiah that was unfolding the father to them so that one day they could unfold the father to the world, continuing what the Father had begun though Jesus Christ, his son,
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
And Jesus, is there, off duty? And along comes a lady, who informs him, a guest at this wedding feast he’s in attendance at. And she says,
“They have no more wine.”
and he replies, to this woman, “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
His mother – not missing a beat – “…said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
…and now here we are, back to what God began to speak to us about. This is where Jesus, took up his cross… and walked in obedience to our Father in heaven…
…close your eyes, look at him there. He placed his first footstep on the road that ended with him on the cross, upon which he died for us.
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Now open your eyes, and see… that God brought you here, to choose which path you would take through life. His hand is extended toward you, to come a walk along side of him in his garden, his creation. What was that poetic image you told me about the garden that was tended, even if no butterfly ever comes to fly amongst its foliage?
When I asked about this, you told me of a precious lady that prays for you!
…all for now…
Running Down Vimy 