This morning I am contemplating the goodness and marvelousness of God. In Mark 12 Jesus tells a parable to the religious leaders about a farmer who owned a vineyard. The farmer was preparing for a long journey. He planted in his vineyard and left it to be tended by tenants. After some time, the farmer sent servants to check on the vineyard and its produce. Each servant he sent was treated horribly. Some were put to death. Finally, the farmer decides to send his own son. “Surely they will listen to him,” the farmer thinks. Even the son was beaten and killed. Jesus then says: “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.’?” (Mark 12:9-11 ESV)
This Scripture Jesus quotes is from Psalm 118:
“Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the LORD’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
As I sat reading these passages this morning, I was asking the Holy Spirit to speak to me. Why was this “…marvelous in our eyes”? Let’s start with looking at the meaning of the parable:
The parable Jesus tells is referring to the religious leaders of the day: those who studied God’s law and lead the Israelite people in the way of the Lord. The problem was many, if not most, of the religious leaders cared more about tradition, religion, and high standing than about relationship with God. They missed the point of God’s love and grace. They thought they had to perfectly keep laws (some of which God never gave them). They thought being important was of the upmost importance. They thought keeping things “in order” was ordained. Their hearts were often not postured in surrender to the All Important One.
And that was just the religious leaders. The Israelite people also consumed idolatry from surrounding nations, participated in sinful practices, and failed to heed God’s loving warning of repentance. Throughout Israel’s history, God sent prophets to speak His truth and warn Israel about what would come if they did not turn their hearts back to God. The religious leaders (the Levitical priests) were to be a part of leading the people in the way(s) they should go in “loving the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” But, again, many of these priests did not heed the warnings of the prophets, pointing the Israelites back to full surrender to Yahweh.
In the parable Jesus tells in Mark, the tenants are the religious leaders - those left to tend for the farmers crop. The prophets are the servants sent to check on the tenants and crops. The prophets were ridiculed, scorned, and beaten. Some were murdered. The religious leaders would have lead or “okayed” the exercise of all these practices. Then, just as the farmer sends his own son, God sends His own Son, Jesus. God in flesh. Creator of all, come down to live among men. The Word of God embodied. God’s heart and character in the fullness of Christ.
But the tenants, the religious leaders, would beat and kill the Son as well. They didn't want their understanding to be questioned, high standing to be altered, or control to be challenged. It was the job of the Pharisees and Sadducees to study the Word of God, to lead Israel in the ways of the Lord. But when the Word dwelt among them, most of the religious leaders missed Him…because they misunderstood the Word of God. They had made things important God didn’t intend to be made important: They made works more important than a humble heart posture. They made superiority more important than service.
They missed Jesus because they misunderstood. And when they were confronted or challenged, they were not willing to humble themselves. They were not willing to say “Maybe we are wrong. Maybe there is more to this than we see.” They rejected the cornerstone: the way to righteousness, their salvation. They killed the very One that came to save them. They missed Him.
I looked up the word “marvelous” in its original context in Psalm 118:23. It’s a Hebrew word pronounced “paw-law’.” It means: “be extraordinary, wonderful.” This word is the same word used in Psalm 139:14:
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.” (ESV, emphasis mine)
One of the meanings of this word, next to “to be wonderful, be extraordinary,” is “to be difficult to understand.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 ran through my head:
“My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are my ways your 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.” (NIV)
Higher. Other. Difficult to understand.
Understanding is something I have often (if not always) wanted. When I am told to do something, I want to know why. I want to know the outcomes. I want to be able to connect all the dots. And not just about the future, but about the past as well. I have spent countless hours of my life trying to understand how or why things happened; to connect my current circumstances as an effect to a causal past. I want there to be specifics, logic, tangible things that make sense.
But then…love. True love. Salvation. Miracles. They don’t make sense. When the God of the universe takes on flesh to come dwell among sinful people in order to die for them out of love…it doesn’t make sense. When the Creator of all things comes to serve rather than be served…it doesn’t make sense. When five loaves and two fish equals dinner for 5,000 men
(plus women and children) and leaves 12 baskets of leftovers…it doesn’t make sense.
Our God doesn’t always work in ways we see, understand, or assume He works. Our God created logic, but He doesn’t always work in logical ways. Our God doesn’t make sense. And praise God for that. Sacrificial love and grace don’t make sense. Salvation for the sinful doesn’t make sense. Acceptance in spite of our selfish actions doesn’t make sense.
The outcome of my circumstances doesn’t always make sense. I shouldn’t be where I am today. Literally…I shouldn’t be sitting where I am today. It doesn’t make sense. I haven’t earned this life because of my goodness - I’m not that good. I haven’t earned these kiddos because of my kindness - I’m terribly selfish. I haven’t earned God’s love because of my perfection - I am fallible. I have to choose to be okay with things not making sense. I have to choose to be okay saying, “Perhaps what I see is different than what I think it is. Perhaps what I have understood isn’t 100% right.” God’s thoughts are not my thoughts and His ways are not my ways. He is constantly revealing Himself to me but I can only “…see as 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.”
(1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV).
I will not fully understand this God. I cannot. I am not that powerful. Not that wise. Because I am not Him. Perhaps that statement makes you think something like: “Well obviously you are not Him. You’re not God.” But the enticing idea that, “I could be the god of my own life…I could have all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. I could have control,” is the very pull that lead humanity to sin in the Garden of Eden.
We want to be important, to be in control, to have all understanding. The enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to keep us separate from God for all eternity. But, if he can’t do that, he wants nothing more than to distract us on earth with all the things that “make sense” to our flesh right now. Satan wants to cloud wisdom, discernment, and sound judgment with thoughts and feelings contrary to truth. He wants to plant lies and water them through our circumstances and how we see and understand them. He wants to take what is True, skew it ever-so-slightly so it still “looks” good to consume, and slowly pull us into deep trenches where we are consumed with self.
Whether consciously or not, we are all fighting a battle. A battle against Satan and sin. This battle is won only in Christ, in the surrender to our King. We are covered by the sacrifice of Jesus. A sacrifice that doesn’t make sense. We can’t earn it. We can’t deserve it. It is out of His goodness and love and pleasure. And I cannot comprehend it. I cannot comprehend His love for me - especially in moments where I can’t see anything lovable in me. I cannot comprehend His goodness - especially when I am not acting “good.” I cannot comprehend His gentility - especially when I’m harsh and easily irritated. I cannot comprehend His miracles or why He blesses me - especially when I don’t deserve it.
God orchestrates things I could never imagine. He puts things into motion far before I see their effects. In fact, He put salvation into motion before the beginning of the world. There is always more than I can see or understand. Many of the things I have made important are not the things God considers important: acquiring things, popularity, money, opportunities, significance, etc. Perhaps having my house organized, a job that pays “enough,” children that obey the first time without disrespect, owning the next fashion or technology trend, or making myself comfortable aren’t as important as I once thought. God cares about the state and posture of my heart despite the presence or absence of these things.
And, the presence or absence of these things does not reflect God’s amount of love for me. It does not reflect my importance. My significance is found in Who God is. He is love and His love never alters. He cannot love me more or less. What He cares about is love, and the state of my heart in regard to these things.
Just like the Israelites, I have often turned my heart toward idols. Like the religious leaders, I have wanted to become important while maintaining significance and keeping things in perfect order. I have scoffed at confrontation in order to self-protect my understanding of “rightness.” I have missed the Word. But my God has been faithful and constant and loyal. He is ever-patient and gently leads me back to Himself again and again as He fills me with wisdom through the Holy Spirit.
Today, may I allow the Spirit to open my eyes anew and to fill me afresh; to give me a deeper humility and faith:
A humility that says, “I can’t understand Your thoughts or ways, God but You will give me what I need to take each next step with You.”
A faith that believes His sacrificial, un-earnable love and grace are real. That Jesus’ sacrifice is enough. That I don’t have to try to be anything or anyone else to earn significance.
God’s ways are marvelous to my eyes: difficult to understand. Mighty. Powerful. Other. Some things may be as I see them, but He can always take me deeper and show me more. He can transform my heart through the renewing of my mind: through the reorienting of what I have thought or what I see or what I understand. He can give me peace in this new place where I surrender what I think I know and allow Him to tell me what He wants me to know: He is God. He is Love. He is higher.
"This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.”...even if it looks different than we anticipate.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
- What warnings has the Holy Spirit been laying before me that I scorn or ignore? How can I look at these afresh today?
- In what areas may God be challenging my thoughts and my ways?
- What is God saying to me that doesn’t make sense? Is He asking me to obey something I don’t want to - whether out of fear, discomfort, or lack of control? If so, how can I pursue obeying His leading today?
- What have I made important (an idol) that God wants me to surrender back to Him?
- What accountability do I need in these areas? Who can I let into these spaces?
- What Scripture can I place before me and meditate on today?
Comments
Post a Comment