Behold the least of these. Behold the beggar. Behold the child. Behold the widow. Behold the broken. Those who are the least of these will inherit the city of God. How often do we look down upon the poor, thinking that it is up to us to help them? How often do we tell the children that they will understand, only when they are older? How often do we decide that the broken are lesser then us? Can we really be such fools? Jesus Christ said that "the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Mt. 19:14).
Today, I dreamt of a future. I saw a kingdom beyond anything I had imagined. There before me stood the most unlikely of leaders. I had always predicted that someday the great giants of the faith would rule in high authority, but instead I saw a boy. This young child, with unshakable faith, was a shining beacon of Christ. How could a boy, no older that fifteen rule so much? It was as I stood facing him with a look of astonishment that I heard a great voice say, "because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities" (Lu 19:17). I began to wonder even more at this boy. What had he been so faithful in?
A woman came beside me and began to request an audience with this boy. It was when I saw her face that I knew it was his mother. I have yet to see a stranger thing. His mother approached him with immense reverence and he greeted her with the open arms and the greatest of kindness. There was only humility in his eyes and love in his heart. It was in that moment that I saw who he had been in life.
His mother was a single mother. He had severe Down's syndrome. She took him to church week after week and it was through her dedication that he came to fall in love with Christ. He could never quote scripture and he could never remember the words to any songs, but that never stifled his zeal. She struggled day by day to take care of her son and all the while he would pray, talking to the One who had saved him. He knew no theology, other than the fact that his savior had died for him. He prayed for those he met, he prayed for those he saw in magazines, newspapers, even the television, he prayed and never ceased. When he did speak, the only thing he could seem to say was how much he loved Jesus and how much Christ did for him.
I stood in awe. This boy wasn't handicapped. I was handicapped! He may have been disabled in our physical realm, but it was I who was disabled in the spiritual. This boy, as he grew into a man, never 'grew up' and his faith forever stayed that of a child's.
I began to realize that his 'condition' was a gift. Maybe he couldn't function correctly by the standards of the world, but he lived by faith alone. He didn't work, he didn't search for food, and he didn't do anything that I strive for everyday. In his life he trusted God for everything. He had faith; and with it he prayed. He knew what he believed and he doubted nothing. It was simple faith. It was raw faith. I didn't feel convicted, thinking that I should be a better Christian; instead I felt as though I stood in the presence of a king. Though he didn't know it, he was far greater than I, for I could never have his faith. His faith was a gift. God had given this boy a gift that the rest of the world calls a curse.
Can we really be such fools?
In Oklahoma, Joseph Ramsey broke into the home of the Marshall family and, with an axe in hand, bond and gagged all of them in the basement. While there he dragged the father to the middle or the room and brutally murdered him in front of his family. Next he took the 14 year old daughter (Gloria Marshall) and raped her before beheading her in front of her surviving mother and brother. It was only as he had stripped the mother bare with the intention of raping her that the police arrived and Ramsey was apprehended. Samantha Marshall and her son Eric survived the harrowing ordeal with only minor cuts and bruises. It was later learned that Ramsey was responsible for the deaths of 16 others, 10 of whom where women (also raped before their deaths). Within a week Ramsey was sentenced to death by the courts.
In some small way, justice was served. Yet, Mrs. Marshall and her son will never see their loved ones again, nor will the ever recover from the damage done physiologically. Death seemed an easy way out for Ramsey.
If you tell this story to nearly anyone on the street, or tell it to your family, they will most likely agree that Ramsey's punishment was deserved. In fact, I don't think you'll find a single person on the earth that says the punishment wasn't deserved. More than likely you'll hear people say that his punishment was simply not enough.
Now, image this scenario. The judge turns to Mrs. Marshall prior to the sentencing of Ramsey and says, "Mrs. Marshall, as you can see, this man has been sentence to death, but I need to you press the charges first."
Mrs. Marshall's response is calm and collected. "No, your honor; I cannot press charges. In. fact, I want you to let him go."
"Let him GO!?"
"Yes, I want him to come live with me. I intend to marry him."
There is a stunned look on the faces of the judge and the jury, "But what about justice?"
"About that. My son Eric will take the death sentence for him."
Can you see where I'm going with this? As human's we have a concept of justice, we know when man deserves to be punished. But how could God ever plan for someone to go to Hell? The truth is, it is simply justice. To say that God wouldn't do such a thing is to first undermine our offense, and second it undermines his righteousness and his justice. We say that Mrs. Marshall has every right to allow justice to be served, but when it comes to God, we can't stand that he is just? God chooses to be just to those he chooses to be just to. They will simply receive punishment fitting their crime, their offense. God also chooses to have mercy on those he chooses mercy. Those will be saved from punishment, and they do not receive justice in the slightest.
Who are we to say that God cannot do with his creation as he wishes? Romans 9:20-21 "On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?"
And what if God uses some to show his mercy and others simply to show his wrath? Romans 9:21 "What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?" Is it not also written in Isaiah, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" This same thing is proclaimed throughout the last chapters of Job when God arrives on the scene. Job had been challenging God's justice, saying what he was going through was undeserved. Instead of God answering Job's "why" question, God basically says, "Who are you to even ask such a question." In reality, Job doesn't even have the right to ask such a thing.
In reference to Romans 9:21, it is sometimes explained as God's plan for groups. Only a specific group is prepared for destruction. It is true that Paul speaks of God's plan for Israel as a nation in the following verses. If we say though that this only applies to a group of people, then we ignore the previous verses, which clearly show the individual nature of the content. Romans 9:12-18 "it was said to her, 'THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.' Just as it is written, 'JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.' What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, 'I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.' So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.' So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." We have very personal examples of Jacob, Esau, and Pharaoh. We can also refer back to Job as just another person God chose to use for His purpose.
My final point is to emphasize the true meaning behind what Paul says. We often get caught up in the words like "destruction" and forget the words "mercy" and "love". Mrs. Marshall's forgiveness, love, and mercy are the things that are revealed through her choice not to act justly. If every criminal was sparred and given mercy, then her actions would be normal and insignificant. God chooses some for destruction so that His true mercy will be revealed to us, those he chooses to show mercy to. This passage in Romans is about how blessed and significantly special the believers in Christ are because God have chosen to show mercy to them. The entire passage overflows with God's mercy to man because he has chosen to show mercy to some, even though none deserve it. Are we not all like Ramsey? We are in every way, but we often forget that our offense toward God is so much greater than his. Just like the Judge with Mrs. Marshall, we should stand stunned and amazed that God even wishes to save any of us. Far too often though, we sit judging God, stunned and shocked that he would allow any to be condemned. It is not God that allows man to be condemned, it is man who stands condemned already (John 3:18).
*Joseph Ramsey is a fictitious character. Any relation to an actual person is purely coincidental
Hello from Chicago!
Life here is a roller coaster ride, but as with most rides, totally worth the insanity. God is good and I can't but keep thinking that. You know, my dad called me the other day and asked for some thoughts on the story of Lazarus. I began to dig into the scriptures and a lot of things came pouring out. Sorry, I know this blurb sounds random, but it's not, it goes with "God is good". Anyway, as I read I began to notice things I never noticed before. I began to examine things in my own life that I'd never really paid much attention to. Jesus doesn't heal Lazarus when he was asked to; even though we know he could have done so. Christ had healed people from far away before, so why didn't he do it this time? It's pretty obvious when he says in John 11:4 "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." This really struck me as interesting. Jesus' actions were, in the eyes of all who witnessed, not in the best interest of Lazarus, Mary, or Martha. In fact, the only interest expressed by Christ is God's glory. This was profound. When we begin to deconstruct everything we know about the Bible we run into this same thing. God is to be glorified in all things. When God created, it was to glorify Him. Man and woman were to glorify God, and when they failed by disobedience, God's promise of the coming savior was God's way of glorifying himself in this newly broken world. When Job's life falls apart and all who see it feel it is nothing more than pointless suffering, God shows up and tells Job about Himself. In doing this God brings glory to himself. Though Amanda's parents suddenly split in the past month, God will, as always, be glorified in the end. It then must be asked, "What does this mean for me?" Every action we take must glorify God. And that's really it. It comes down to living a life dead to self. When I make a film, does my work bring me fame, or does it glorify my Father? These are the questions we must ask ourselves every moment of everyday. It's funny, but even the clothes I wear fit in here. Does this T-shirt glorify God? For both guys and girls the question begs to be asked, "Does this shirt bring attention to me?" If you're intent is to attract attention, then your focus has turned from glorifying God to glorifying self. Satan's first mistake was pride. He wanted glory. God judged him accordingly. For we know that our God is jealous, but we often forget is that our biggest idol can very often be ourselves. The funny thing is, as I write this, I know I'm talking about myself. I can't even begin to number the amount of times I have looked in the mirror and idolized the man staring back. Other times, I wish I could be better looking. With my film, I want to be made known. I dress so that others will be impressed. It's a life long struggle between glorifying self, and glorifying God. More often than not I glorify myself. Sorry about the randomness. I was just really being convicted. It's amazing what God is doing and how I'm beginning to see things in ways I've never seen them before. I just figured I'd share it.
(On a final note: Amanda’s parents did reconcile and are back together, happier than ever!)
