Two whole thoughts in one blog entry

Easter Sunday 2011. He Is Risen!
A couple of thoughts presented themselves to me today while at a sunrise service. This is always an occasion for rejoicing as thoughts generally do not come in pairs to me. But before I get to those thoughts let me wax a bit on the service itself and how my wife and I came to be there. We do a lot of shopping in Derby since we live so close and our daughter and her family live there. One day we saw a sign advertising a sunrise service. This was on the outskirts of town and an observant observer could see three crosses back in a wooded area off of a short dirt road that went into a field. We decided to attend and wondered if it was sponsored by a church or just an individual. I was expecting a small gathering especially when the morning was accompanied by overcast, threatening skies, and a cool temperature. However, there were 60 or 70 folks there, best I could tell and it was a wonderful service. Now, back to my two thoughts.
Something was said about angels during the sermon. A subject that seems to have some bit of ambiguity attached to it as far as I can see. They are real, no doubt, but their exact nature and such seems vague. It strikes me that on Easter, whatever the angels' precise nature or essence may in fact be, surely they are celebrating with us. I am guessing there is no time that the spiritual realm we have so much trouble connecting with, and our daily lives, are in such concert with one another. Surely, on this day, however inadequate, or shallow, my understanding of spiritual matters, we are joined by the whole of the heavenly arena as we proclaim, "He Is Risen". This thought is one that brings real joy to my heart. The other of the two thoughts has to do with the perception by many in Jesus' day that he would bring a military revolt to overthrow the Roman occupation. This view extended far beyond just the "zealots" who were actively working toward that end by taking military action of their own. In the context of human history, which shows that the world is ruled by the use of force, why wouldn't you expect this of a "deliverer"? The disappointment of these followers provides a vivid contrast to the true nature of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. What army, or military campaign, could have influenced the world the way Jesus did. Ghengis Khan? Alexander the Great? Think of Matthew 6. In reference to the showy actions of the religious leaders whose intent was to put on a good show for those who were watching Jesus says, "they have their reward in full". They wanted attention, and that's what they got. They have what they wanted. If military conquest is your goal then that, if you are successful, will be your reward. Their influence, though great, was not as profound or significant as that of Jesus. The Zealots had the right idea, just the wrong tools. Jesus had what it took to conquer death and sin and usher in a new kingdom that will never be overthrown.
Today, if no other, let's celebrate with the whole of creation, that Jesus is risen.

The 127th time is a charm

Well, I need to start off with a bit of a disclaimer. The purpose of this entry is not to cast disparagement on my ability to comprehend what someone is trying to communicate to me. However, it will explore the speed, or lack thereof, at which I am able to grasp things. I'm pretty quick on certain aspects of the realities of this world. For instance, if I touch a hot stove the thought of it being hot has not even registered as my hand is quickly repositioned to a cooler location. There is virtually no time at all that expires between the touch and the grasping of the reality that the object of my touching is very, very hot. On the other hand, some things, which are just as real, and just as hot, though not physically, are slow to be comprehended by the same system that brought us the cat-like response of the earlier situation.
A while back I began memorizing scripture. The second chapter I undertook to file away in the ol' steel trap was Isaiah 53. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed ....... Surely our griefs He Himself bore and our sorrows He carried........but He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him and by His scourging we are healed. There are a lot of wonderful thoughts and pictures that come to mind reading through the chapter and while trying to memorize I must have gone over each verse a hundred times or more. So the other night as I read back over the chapter trying to reinforce my memory a bit, it was a surprise to have a portion of one of the verses really hit me. For cryin' out loud, I'd only been over these words a few hundred times. You can't consider every word with any real depth when your goal is to memorize. Repetition is important, not contemplation. Well, when I read, "by His scourging we are healed" I immediately had to stop reading and I placed my hands over my face as my mind and spirit seemed to be operating on a deeper level than before. By His scourging, that would be the scourging that my sin has brought to bear on Him. By His scourging, we are healed. God turned around the darkness of sin and used it as a tool to heal us. The pain He endured took away sin's final victory in my life and healed my spirit. Somehow, this perfect, sinless man used Satan's own tool against him. God's shield of salvation dulled and rendered useless the devil's most powerful weapon. Our sin, directed at the Lamb of God, becomes useless and cannot have its usual effect because it was defeated by God's light. Our sin, when laid at the foot of the cross, cannot take our lives, it can only cause us pain here on earth and that pain is nothing compared to what we will experience in glory. There is a deep peace waiting in those words and I am still unwrapping yet another wonderful Christmas present from my heavenly Father. Hope you get what you've always wanted, too.