A New Beginning

“47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” (Luke 6)

When God saved the Israelites and freed them from slavery, He baptized them in the Red Sea and brought them to Him at Mount Sinai.  There He made a covenant with them, He bound Himself to them.  The God of the Universe, the God outside the Universe, outside time, outside reality, relativity, responsibility bound His Holy self to a scraggly mass of refugees.  He submitted His Holy will to them and their good.  He fed them.  He clothed them.  He even provided money and riches to them through their now humbled neighbors.  He protected them in battle.  Then He then gave them a gift…

The Law.

When Jesus began his ministry to free all slaves, John baptized the people in the Jordan and the crowds gathered to Jesus on the mount above the Sea of Galilee.  There he illuminated the covenant God had made with His people: Blessed are the poor, the hungry, the meek, the scorned and persecuted for God Himself would provide for them!  God Himself would protect them!  He even healed their sick to show he meant business!

Then he gave them the Law.  There he explained and expanded the Law so that even those delusional enough to think they had kept it before would realize now that they hadn’t even come close!  Love your enemies.  To curse a fool is murder.  To look at a woman lustfully is adultery.  As you forgive, so will you be forgiven.  As you judge, so you shall be judged.  Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.  Not good.  Not good enough.  Perfect!

Did they laugh?  Did they scoff?  Did they weep?  Did they just walk away shaking their heads and ask, “Who then can be saved?” 

Who indeed.

When you believe God to be a Holy Judge and you begin to see what His standards really are, the only proper response is to cry out, “Who then can be saved?!”  Some may try to deny God as Judge.  They claim His love and grace but even while doing so, they deny its power and origin.  For you see, there can be no love and grace to us without God being Holy. 

Adam and Eve were created sinless.  They had a form of communion with God.  They were naked and unashamed; they walked with Him in the garden.  It doesn't appear they were holy however.  For you see, God was carefully attempting to teach them what Love is.   If the Word is teaching us Love is total submission to and for the good and glory of another, Adam and Eve were very carefully and deliberately being educated.  They were given something to do and something not to do.  In choosing to obey, they could demonstrate the seeds of love.  Since they had to be taught this, they were not in full communion with the Father and Son.  Therefore, the Father and Son were “set apart,” i.e. Holy and demonstrating their love for the created by trying to bring them into their communion, to enter into their holiness, their completeness.

Sin destroyed this nascent communion.  Pride urged our parents to try and become complete in their selves, to love only themselves, to take another path to godhood.  Sin makes big promises and delivers only death.  Was God surprised?  Did the Father and Jesus say to each other, “Shoot!  Gotta plan B?” 

Yeah, right.

Like it or not, this was foreseen.  This was Plan A.  You might even say it was Plan ΑΩ.  For now God could really show us what Love is! 

Our tendency, our instinct is to love only ourselves.  To submit to only our own wills, our own desires, our own animalistic, squirrel brained whims and fears.  This makes us slaves, it destroys our humanity, it destroys our relationships, it destroys God’s image, which is love, grace, mercy, holiness.  We devolve to our basest selves and we die tragic deaths.  Incurvatus.  Turned inward.  Ingrown.  All that’s missing is the pus.

So what was God’s solution for proud, stiff-necked, self-willed, unloving, rebellious, hellion children?

He gave them the Law.  Confused?  So were they.  Unlike them however, you’ll only have to wait until, Lord willing, tomorrow for the explanation.  They had to ponder it for thousands of years.  See?  Grace and mercy already.