“How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given…”
But wait. I’m thinking it wasn’t given then. Not really, completely. It was presented, displayed, for the time until the hour of real giving would arrive. “My hour has not come,” (Jhn 2:4;7:30;8:20) then later, “His hour had come…” (Jhn 12:23;13:1;17:1).
And the words change in my mind:
“In what anguish, in what anguish, the wondrous gift is given! Thus God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven…”
We focus on the giving at Christmas time, but isn’t the greatest Christian holiday just ahead: Holy Week, encompassing the death, the life given on the cross, the burial, the mourning, the anguish, the darkness, then the dawn — and the Life Resurrected, to Ascend soon after as the perfect fragrant incense, more than acceptable to God the Father?
Time to meditate on the greatest gift of all time and eternity!
[Five minutes, writing. Extra time for checking the carol’s words and gathering the Bible references. And finding picture(s) — later.]
John 6. It was around the time of Passover, in a place on Galilee Sea’s far side where grew “much grass.” The flock was large (over 5,000), so intent on following the Shepherd that almost none had brought food.
And Jesus posed a question, to one of His disciples:
Where shall we get bread for them?
No idle remark, this, nor bread’s mention simply literal…
After collecting a tiny amount of barley bread, He made them lie down in green pasture — as in Psalm 23. (The Greek word in John 6:10 usually translated “sit” actually means recline. In the prevailing Roman culture people reclined to dine.)
They broke the bread, and it multiplied as they gave it to the people, there on Galilee’s hillside. The people partook and were satisfied, and abundance was left over.
Then after this miraculous feeding, He told them the most vital bread they needed:
“The bread come down from heaven.”
Himself.
“I amthe bread of life.”
Sometime later, while His smaller flock “reclined at table,” He took bread again and broke it, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Take, and eat.”
The broken Word become the food to satisfy with Eternal life.
But why did He make His sheep lie down?
Sheep need to ruminate.The sheep that doesn’t, remainsin want. Without the ruminating, its body makes no use of what’s taken in. It just accumulates there, useless, and that sheep, though full of food, is dying slow death from malnutrition. For sheep, like cows and goats, have more than one “stomach.” The first receives food as a storage tank—a personal food bank, from which deposits must be withdrawn for use.
And sheep need to lie down to ruminate. After racing or grazing, it’s time to stop, recline, withdraw nourishment from the inner pantry, and chew. Chew it up, swallow it back down, where, processed, it can send out nourishment to strengthen and give fuel for action.
So He bids us (and sometimes makes us) “lie down,” stop and rest, that we’ll not just take in spiritual nourishment, but also gain the good of it…
…and not start dying from the inside out.
I need to find time — correction: make time — to get still and ruminate on the bread of life.
Taking time in the coming days before we observe the Good Shepherd’s laying down of His life for the sheep. Making time. It’s essential.
[Edited page from the archives.]
Ruminating today on these reasons, in all He is, to worship Him:
79 – He is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)
80 – He laid down His life for his flock, his “sheep” (John 10:11)
81 – He supplies their need so they will not be “in want” (John 6:5-13; Psalm 23:1)
82 – He can multiply bread mightily (John 6:8-13)
83 – He walked on water (and it wasn’t ice!) (John 6:19)
84 – He gives food that doesn’t perish, but endures to everlasting life (John 6:27)
85 – He is the true bread from heaven (John 6:32-35)
86 – He restores souls (Ps 23:3)
87 – He leads His own in the paths of righteousness (Ps 23:3)
88 – He is present with His own even through the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Ps 23:4)
89 – His rod and His staff comfort His “sheep”
90 – He prepares a table even in the wilderness for His own, even in their enemies’ presence (Ps 23:5)
91 – He makes their “cup” overflow (Ps 23:5)
92 – He causes goodness and mercy to follow His own all the days of their life (Ps 23:6)
93 – He enables His own to dwell in His house forever (Ps 23:6)
What I hear about it burns shock waves through my bloodstream.
Every day a blank slate for the slave-owner's orders?
Any human’s ownership over another holds such potential for evil. The bullying anyone can slide into, given unchecked power over others, stuns me. History shows slavery almost never lacks abuse. Even indentured servitude that early immigrants accepted to live here was fraught with injustice, and heartlessness that tore families apart, sometimes never to see each other again.
But there is this beautiful bondage, this splendid slavery:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your reasonable service (Ro 12:1).
…
The man begins a letter. His name is James. Not just any James. Brother of our Lord (most scholars think).
He’s writing to new believers in Christ —with authority, as leader in the fledgling Church.
He begins with introduction, giving his credentials —
Title most odd.
No mention of family relationship to Jesus, or high position of oversight, none of a lot of exalting stuff he could boast about. Instead he identifies himself as…
Slave.
Bond slave.
Meaning a bound slave. Not temporary. Bound forever.
Once, with family members, he tried to pry his brother from what seemed mad obsession, didn’t believe in him (John 7:3-5). Now he’s sold out to who this same Jesus turns out to be: Christ, long-awaited Messiah, resurrected Lord.
His Lord.
And Master.
And owner.
Jesus once said it, just before He walked to his dreadful death: To be great in God’s Kingdom, you must be a slave, serving all!
Slave is really the blunt, truthful word. (Greek doulos.)
And it stings! When applied to ourselves, anyway.
“Hey, slave!”
How would you like anyone yelling that at you? It doesn’t appeal to me too much!
Most of us have trouble just allowing anyone to be our boss — even God! A young woman I know, who deems herself a Christian, once asked me, in demanding tone, “If Jesus is my Savior, why does He have to be my boss?”
I asked why she wouldn’t want someone like Him to be her boss. Further discussion revealed part of her problem lay with memories of a bad dad, who gave bad commands. But if I’m honest, I don’t too much want to be entirely under any boss either, let alone slave-owner.
But (gulp) that’s what I need to be! (To Christ.) This is my real Spiritual Practice of Sacrifice!
We Americans may struggle harder with this than anyone else. After all, we’re “the free and the brave,” aren’t we? And aren’t our highest “virtues” Yankee ingenuity and personal achievement?
Hm.
Just beginning to restudy “James” the book, with a view to living it out, here I am stuck already, halfway through verse one!
How shall I overcome my reluctance — nay, resistance! — to this personal slavery?
I think it best to take a long, hard look at the One Who’s supposed to be my Master: Christ Himself.
Scripture says He relinquished His position in the form of God, and became… a slave — willingly obedient even to horrific death on that cross! (Phil 2:5-8)
“For the joy set before Him.”
Incredibly, I’m part of that joy for which He endured such unspeakable torture and anguish — in humble, slave-like obedience.
In these days before Easter, I want to look more intently into Christ’s noble slavery during His final week of mortal life.
Join me? Meanwhile, how do you feel about slavery — for yourself?
…..
More Him-Centered Reasons to Worship (and Willingly Serve) Him
62 – All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him (Col 2:3)
63 – Because He’s good! (Ps 106:1)
64 – His unfailing love/lovingkindness/mercy endures forever (Ps 106:1)
65 – His mighty acts are beyond our ability to utter (Ps 106::2)
66 – His judgments are in all the earth (Ps 105:7)
67 – He is a faithful, covenant-keeping God (Ps 105:8)
68 – He remembers His promises for a thousand generations (Ps 105:8)
69 – He knows (acknowledges and is awared of) the way of the righteous (Ps 1:6)
70 – He will hold in derision those who hold Him in contempt (Ps 2:4)
71 – But He blesses those who put their trust in Him (Ps 2:12)
72 – He is a personal shield (Ps 3:3)
73 – He hears His people when they cry to Him (Ps 3:4;4:3)
74 – He is our glory (Ps 3:3)
75 – He is the One Who lifts up our heads (Ps 3:3)
76 – He is the God of our righteousness (Ps 4:1)
77 – He alone makes one dwell in safety (Ps 4:8)
78 – He has set apart/made wonderful for Himself those who are godly (Ps 4:3)
Mid-morning, news by phone: the shocking death, the accident, and muddied notions of what happened…
By evening, details:
He’s cutting a tree. It splits…
Time moves, she worries, he ought to be home… She calls, they go, finally find him…
That morning it’s she I think of first and most. By evening I agonize for her, but also think of myself, with Husband of similar mold…
Mind images roll, reroll, like a nightmare loop.
It could have been him, me. Still could…
He gets home, I tell him. I beg never, at least, go do such work alone, and he gives no promise, or even a head nod, at least doesn’t lie, doesn’t false-promise. But there it is.
I pray. Repeatedly. For her, most of all. Then selfish love prays for Husband’s protection, that a similar accident “please, God,” never happen…
Men like that, I know some. Physical, active, little able to confine themselves long within walls, even when sick — whose temperament keeps them moving, doing, accomplishing much that benefits others.
And I know their wives, or daughters, who worry till ill or vainly love-nag — or for sanity’s sake resign themselves to how it is, this particular unchanging bent, and leave it with God.
Men sometimes will just not listen to those who say, “Don’t do that!”
And sometimes with good reason…
Paul wouldn’t listen when friends wept and pled and prophesied ill. Against their wishes he took the road to Jerusalem, which became his path to death (Acts 21:10-15). Yes, he went against their wishes, even against their prophecies — but not against God’s. He understood what his friends were saying, but he also knew what God had said… “how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake… ” (Acts 9:10-12, 15-16).
Christ wouldn’t listen, either, when Peter tried to dissuade him. “Get behind me, Satan!” He replied (Mt 16:21-23), and set His face like flint and walked into His own devastation: “They plowed my back,” “I cry out,” “am weary with groaning…”
Even knowing He’d suffer the cruelest tree and most hurtful betrayal, He went. That took soul wrestling so intense it oozed blood from pores. Then no one could stop Him, and thanks ever be, for the love that constrained Him, love for the Father, and for us.
