I think, deep down, most of us have a hard time believing in the fallen nature of the world. Some of us won't even admit it, some of us will pretend that people are inherently good and all that jazz. But not even them - even among those of the Christian Faith who confess honestly that the world is a fallen, terrible place - we can have a hard time "believing" it.
What do I mean? What is our reaction when the stink and filth and utter baseness of this world bangs into us? Do we say as Luther would have us say that this is just the world of sin, and in fact I deserve much worse? Do we think, "Ah, perhaps this is part of that temporal punishment that I have in fact earned with my sin."
No - we tend to say, "Why is this happening to me?" We tend to say, "Why would God let this happen to me - I've been a good person." We rant, we rave, we speak over and over how we don't deserve this. We bemoan the fact that God doesn't deliver us right now and in the way we want.
We have a hard time believing that we are in a fallen, sinful world, because when we see that fallen and sinful world... when it bites us, we are forced to come to grips, painfully, with the implications of our own sin. And we hate that.
Listen: there are times when your life will suck. This is simple truth.
Listen: there are times when a wicked person will mess with your life. Often, that person really is you.
Listen: the Christian faith is not designed so that you can avoid the trials of life. Rather - in this world, as a Christian, you will see those trials all the more, because you will learn to stop trying to sugar coat everything.
I am a sinner. I deserve *nothing*. If they were to take our life, goods, fame, child or wife... there is nothing that I could say in my own defense, not really. I couldn't make any protestations of how this is unfair. You know what was unfair - that I had any of these for even the briefest moment.
I am a sinner in a fallen world. I should expect the world to give me nothing. Nothing good. Not a thing.
This is truth.
Over and against this the greater truth stands.
The Kingdom ours remaineth - for Christ Jesus is good, and He has won for me salvation. Do I always see it right now... no, of course not. Now I see pain and suffering and the Cross - the kingdom ours remaineth.
Christ Jesus has redeemed me with His Blood. So often here my life sucks - so did His. He suffered, He died, He rose and now suffers no more. And because of Him, so shall I.
Sinful world - go suck it.
My own sinful flesh - shut it, for your time of cleansing is at hand.
Christ Jesus is my life. God grant that I see this ever more and more.
No comments:
Post a Comment