Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Jesus Loves Me

One of the great dangers of Christianity is when we becomes bored with Jesus, when we become bored with what He does, when we want something different, something more subtle, more profound, more exciting.

There is a reason why Christ lauded the faith of the child.  The child is perfectly happy to let the story be about Jesus, perfectly content to give the classic Sunday School answer: Jesus!

Consider Jesus Loves Me.

Jesus Loves Me, This I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.

 Does that sound boring to you?  Does that no longer interest you?  Are you no longer looking to the Bible for your spiritual knowledge, but rather clever philosophical turns or natural wisdom? 

Or your "relationship" with Jesus?  Are you no longer content for it to be one of simple belonging - where you belong to Him?  What, are you wanting more give and take - maybe a little bit of things you can do for Him to prove your worth?

Why?  Are you no longer content to confess that you are weak?  Would you rather say, "I was weak, but see, now I am growing and getting better and I am now strong like Jesus"?

Or maybe the problem is, you would say, that this song is just about justification, but now we want to talk about Christian living, and how we ought to be.

I'd still contend the child who simply trusts and receives good from God is a great example of that.

I remember when I was in 2nd grade, and my grandmother died.  And a classmate died as well.  And I thought it through - they are with Jesus now.  Grandma doesn't hurt anymore.  I'll miss Kelli, but she's with Jesus.  And I couldn't understand why people were crying - they are with Jesus.

You can take all your talk of progress or works or your subtlety or turns of phrases.  I know my own fears, I know my own trials, my own doubts, my own frustrations and weaknesses.  I see more keenly my own weaknesses as I have grown (because really, that's what growth does - you understand your faults more and more).

There is no comfort in the changes I've seen in me.  Of course there aren't -- I'm just 29 years closer to death and falling part than I was then.

But the song I knew then, the faith that I simply believed then remains true.  Jesus does love me.  And even though I am weak, He is strong.

1 comment:

Rev. Eric J Brown said...

Consider: For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

The image here is not that I used to be a child in the faith but now I'm older. No, I am a child until... then. When Christ comes, then I will be an adult, I will know fully and be fully known.

But as for now - a child. Tis good.