The loving eye and the bridle

𝗣𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝟯𝟮:𝟴-𝟵 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗼; 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘆𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗗𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

David came to his senses in Psalm 32 and opened his life to God, confessing sin and receiving forgiveness. When he had remained silent (vv 3-4) it had physical consequences – pain and exhaustion. But when he allowed God’s voice and conviction to come into his soul, he received pardon and regained God’s protection over his life. The famous “You are my hiding place” lyrics (v 7) are among the greatest statements in the Word of God about the shelter provided to the penitent.

The above verses are written as God’s words to David, and all readers. Whatever sin was confessed and forgiven is forgotten and God shows the way forward. It is his instruction that leads – and never into more iniquity. His advice and direction come from a motive of pure love and never manipulative self-advancement (God is quite secure as Lord over the universe).

Yet, obstinance is always a possible reaction from the human heart. Whether it stems from unbelief in God’s love and goodness or a desire to plot one’s own course, it reduces the person being directed to the mentality and willfulness of a brute animal. Even as humankind understands the need for means of controlling horses and mules, the rebellion of heart against God who grants the dignity of free will is held up as a right. And a right it is, but not without consequence.

Instruction is only good if it is imported as direction. Otherwise, it sits only as a varying opinion, and there is no shortage of those on the earth. Do I believe there is a God? Yes. Do I believe God’s instruction is a better teacher than my own wayward heart? Yes.

The walk is treacherous still, for the motives of people creep in, some even portending to speak for God – and others who really do speak for God in my life. The “loving eye” is key for me to see. God is for my good, not my control or frustration. May I see and walk with that knowledge. Amen.

Logs and specks

Luke 6:42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Fault-finding putdown artists are actors (hypocrites), says Jesus.  They have no intention of facing up to their own shortcomings, but only delight in point those out in others.  There is a preadolescent mindset that begins with the discovery that demeaning others makes one feel powerful and superior.  It’s a lie, says the Lord, for it leaves out the most important ingredient of all – humility.

Motives are cleansed by allowing God to convict and correct.  The trouble is that fault-finders cannot distinguish conviction and condemnation.  They count on condemnation disqualifying and eliminating others, so they cannot allow any scrutiny to be applied to their hearts or lives.  No, says Jesus, “first take the log out of your own eye” – let the truth penetrate your life, be forgiven and freed, THEN you will understand conviction and freedom for others.  At that point, when you remove THEIR speck, it will be out of love and desire for their best.

The teaching does NOT negate care to remove other’s specks.  My own log – however huge and ugly – does not make me unable to help others with their (albeit smaller) issues.

If I am in the business of the putdown of others, I then need to ask about my own state before God.  I can trust this – it’s a leading indicator of my own need for conviction, forgiveness, cleansing/healing and freedom.  If and when my motives are pure – that is, I am no hypocrite but instead fully acknowledge my own imperfection and struggles – I can love people enough to confront them with things they may not see in themselves.  For it’s no mistake the analogy involves the organ through which we see – we cannot see through a speck.

I rejoice in the freedom God gives me and all his children.  It never comes without struggle and the first person’s struggle I deal with is my own.  And then there is victory for us all!

Fellowship of murderers

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝟭𝟱:𝟳‭, ‬𝟭𝟭 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗮𝘀 …. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱.

The annual prisoner freedom ritual was meant to keep the peace between Rome and those of occupied Israel. There is no biblical record of it being done throughout the Roman Empire, but that would be consistent with the concessions made to maintain control yet allow some local political fervor to simmer. Indeed, the Pax Romana (Peace of Rome) operated at the tips of swords and spears. So, not really peace at all.

That Barabbas was a murderer (likely of one of the opponents of Israel) was an appeal to his candidacy for release. But that he was a murderer at all was perhaps more so, for his advocates were actively using Roman force to murder the One who served neither their aspirations nor that of Rome – Jesus Christ. He was far scarier than any mere criminal or insurrectionist, because His insurrection was against their sin and corrupt authority. He had to go.

The riddle of the cross is that when humankind does its worst, God’s best results. Murderers free murderers and at some level even flaunt their actions with a destructive arrogance that hurts themselves more than anyone else. God pays love forward through His Son and establishes eternal supremacy over the small reign of small people.

The cross wins. Always and forever. In my life and that of all humanity.

The inner wash

Matthew 15:18-20 “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The “traditions of the elders” and nothing in scripture or the Law compelled the Jewish leaders to wash before eating.  It’s certainly not a bad idea but the compulsion is overplayed.  It was a point of compliance forced on the people by those who “knew best”.  Except, they did NOT know best.

Jesus’ description of what comes out of the mouth – in words which turn into deeds – is a list of depraved output that brings people into their worst state.  They reveal something very broken inside and that brokenness dwarfs any hand-washing or external action to cleanse the skin or extremities.  A good adage is “you can’t wash your heart”, because only God can do that.

The call is to integrity – to be the same person outside as inside.  It means acknowledging the ugliness and filthy thoughts within and allowing God to heal and cleanse.  It means not trying to look good (or look bad) or compelling others to look good.  As the evil-doer, adulterer and murderer and then heart-broken King David said:

Psalm 51:6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

For it is not merely delusional to hide what’s inside, it’s deadly.  As David had ceased doing (though he knew better), let me let God do this:

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

It is a sign of saving faith that I allow the light to shine even on my most shameful parts.

Humble genealogies

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟭:𝟯,𝟱,𝟳,𝟭𝟲 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘇 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗵, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿

..𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝘇, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗯, 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝘇 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗯𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝘂𝘁𝗵

.. 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗨𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗵’𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲

.. 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗵.

Genealogies demystify the past. Some cling to them in pride, sure that they establish a purebred human line. Others make discoveries that bring the family down to earth, showing the base results of the human condition.

The lineage of Jesus Christ featured moral compromise like that of many others. There was no purebred claim to be established. . Even Mary, the mother of the Lord, would endure suspicion of adultery because of the way Jesus was conceived. There is a thread of grace and mercy. The humble and shamed produced offspring that would be part of a royal line, no matter what had happened along the way.

No doubt this list would have invited scorn from some holding to a proud heritage – and there is nothing wrong with righteousness in a family’s past. But there is everything wrong with a claim of superiority based upon that. For God’s Son came from a line of sinners, to save an exponentially larger line of sinners.

There is therefore no disqualification or special status given to anyone. It’s grace or nothing that saves and establishes righteousness, one generation at a time. God has no grandchildren.

Being the brood of chicks

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟮𝟯:𝟯𝟳-𝟯𝟴 “𝗢 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁! 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴!”

After a long diatribe against the religious leaders of Israel, citing their vivid and widespread hypocrisy and corrupt hearts and murderous intents against any who would truly speak for God, Jesus spoke tenderly of the city of Jerusalem, their home base and the worldwide center of Judaism. His intent (and offer, still) was for reconciliation, even after their heinous crimes fed by the worst of human motives. This was an expression of amazing grace.

Jesus cited that a prophet must die in Jerusalem (Luke 13:33), alluding to his own death, thus adding his name to all those godly ones sent to help the city. Their confrontation of the sins of the nation were not tolerated, and the powers that were made sure they were heard no more.

Yet, the analogy of the hen with her chicks portrayed the heart’s desire of the prophets.

Confrontation of sin, in its accuracy and conviction, is often blunt and accusatory. But that doesn’t indicate advocacy for destruction and eternal condemnation. Jesus asked the question earlier in the chapter:

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟮𝟯:𝟯𝟯 “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀! 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀! 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹?”

then said that “prophets and wise men and teachers” (v 34) would be sent to redeem and transform the serpentine leaders into children of God through his own shed blood. So, Jesus knew well the answer to the question: HE was the answer.

The sorrow of the refusal to repent and enter into the salvation offered by Jesus is deep. Jerusalem would fall some short years later, and all the pomp and glory of the nation the leaders so enjoyed and propped up would be destroyed. Yet Christianity would only flourish for millennia after this.

Let me, then, not resist conviction of sin and repent of whatever it highlights. Let my heart be kept soft and let me be gathered under the hen’s wings. Let me not refuse conviction, for it is given because of God’s love. And let me be sent even as a prophet, wise person or teacher even to an obstinate people, motivated by that same love. For through that, salvation comes.

Joy rekindled

John 20:15-16 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

Mary of Magdala had come to attend to the dead body of Jesus. She had witnessed his brutal death at the hands of the Romans, all the while being jeered at by those who opposed him and his ministry. She was traumatized and seared with grief. This was a personal time to say good-bye to one who had saved her life.

To discover the body missing would only add to her despondency. When Jesus approached her, she did not recognize him (many did not know the risen Christ until it was revealed to them). So her question was one of desperation, from the tenderest of hearts. In her mind, likely any number of things could have happened to the body, among which was the fact that the tomb was that of a rich person and NOT a place the body of someone like Jesus would have been laid to rest.

When she offered to “take him” it meant collect his remains from wherever they had been moved (likely discarded like rubbish) and at least provide Jesus the best resting place she could afford or arrange. Mostly, she just wanted to see him again.

The gardener would immediately identify himself, greeting her by name after these words and her sorrow turned to bubbling joy as Jesus had predicted. She was, then, the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection. And she couldn’t contain herself, telling the other disciples what she’d seen. In other accounts it says that her words seemed like foolishness to them – a common take on excited speech (slow down, Mary). Where is their grief in my life, where is there fresh or residual sorrow? Where have I left a situation as desperately unsolvable and frozen in that dissolution or brokenness? I am right – I will not solve anything. But I am wrong if I adopt hopelessness as final. It is NOT hopeless. God DOES resurrect, He DOES give new life and revives dead things. While it will never be the same, it may well be better.

Do I allow hope to arise? Do I consider that the “gardener” will call my name, as one in whom he has planted the seeds of salvation which push up a mighty tree from the soil? Awake my soul

Forgiveness of sin = Release from suffering

Mark 3:9-11 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”

Easier to say, or easier to do? Well, Jesus was not talking about just saying “Rise, take up your bed and walk”. He was talking about the man’s healing. And the authority to work a creative miracle was the same authority in force at the creation of the world and that made him authorized to forgive sins.

The heart of the matter is that many of Jesus’ detractors wanted nobody forgiven and certainly nobody healed. In its filthiness of pride, the theology of the Jewish religion in force during Jesus’ life on earth held people in whatever malady they struggled with as punishment for sins from which they could never be. An “underling” healed would destroy that system. Jesus did exactly that.

The paralytic was healed and went home. Case closed. Instead of prolonged, unabated suffering and unforgiven sins, there were forgiven sins and an end to suffering.

Now, in the subtleties of my emotions as they relate to others, do I forgive? Or do I withhold forgiveness and practice schadenfreude – wishing and imagining punishments and maladies on those who have hurt me or those I love?

Or, do I ever try to justify the suffering of others, saying in my heart that it must be payback for something, even if I can’t name it? If so, it’s my heart that’s sick and nothing else. Jesus was all about paying it forward by grace, not paying it back by recompense.

I believe that the Pharisaical caste system Jesus opposed is in all of us to a degree. And it is no less loathsome. It has no place in the heart of a Jesus follower and needs to be irradicated by the Holy Spirit.

Punishment for crime advances the cause of justice for sure; but that’s not what this is. This is putting ourselves on a throne we cannot possibly deserve to sit on, whose instruments of justice we cannot wield in even the smallest way.

If ever you got there emotionally – Get over yourself, O my soul

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

The unwarranted wail of the obedient

Luke 15:30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

It’s a parable, a story with made-up characters.  But because Jesus told it, our minds and souls immediately plug real people into the roles, because they are always archetypes of human beings in our lives.  We know people like that.

These words were spoken by the older son of the Prodigal Son, the younger brother who demanded his inheritance money before his father died and then wasted it on wild living.  He had come back, ready to be a slave and not a son, but his father would have none of that.  He was restored to sonship immediately upon his return with great fanfare and celebration.

The older son bitterly resented his brother, in fact refused to call him his brother – “this son of yours” intentionally skirts the fact that they are brothers.  Even if the father had not disowned the younger brother, his older sibling had.

The resentment of those who have remained faithful to a role, relationship or life calling while others have strayed and then returned is founded in envy.  This son wanted to be celebrated by his father and felt he had deserved it by virtue of faithfulness.  His father replied that he could celebrate any time, but that his brother’s return was life from the dead, so they MUST celebrate.

Where do I fail to rejoice with those who rejoice?  To probe my soul –  where is my reticence (my reserve) hiding real resentment?

The root of the anger by the older brother is a feeling of being unappreciated.  Let me recall seeing it in myself – it takes selective inventory of work done, counting every scar, personal cost and crippling fatigue that plagues all hard work.  And arguably we NEED to be validated and celebrated from time to time as we NEED to know and chronicle how our gifts and competencies are developing.  And there’s nothing wrong with having needs.

But if I feel injustice when someone else is celebrated, I need to get over myself.  Because they have needs as well.  The younger brother needed to have his decision to come back validated and joyfully underscored.  He had himself been victimized by those who loved his money but couldn’t care less about him, but at this point he had returned to those who loved him.  Except for his older brother.

Don’t be a resentful sibling when the stray returns.  Just don’t – it hurts you.

One act of righteousness

Romans 3:18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

It was only one piece of fruit.  One time.  “How bad could that be?” asks all of humanity.  Well, it was an act of rebellion that led to the condemnation of all men.  If I would deny God a central attribute of holiness, I would certainly insist on the primacy of my own ethics, rules and perspectives.  If God does not conform to my compromises and indulge my pleasurable tastes, however they progress and escalate, then I want nothing to do with that God.  For it is not only one piece of fruit.  It is an endless orgy of fruit, and one that I delight in discovering, uncovering and feasting on, my mouth dripping with juice.

Why does this condemn?  Isn’t fruit good?  If I entertain there is a Creator, wasn’t it then created for my enjoyment?  What kind of spoil-sport God would show me a tree and its fruit then deny its consumption?

The kind of God whose limits and boundaries are for my good, not my harm.  The kind of God who desires my trust through obedience.

It is a chief fault of mine if I fail to see the reason in this verse.  I made choices.  They were NOT good, no matter how I revel in them and point to other factors in making them.  And Holy God does not endorse rebellion or rebels like me.  I have separated myself deliberately, even exuberantly.  God finds me hiding behind a tree in the garden and I decide to miss out on the most pleasurable walk in the company of One so intimate and loving.  I leave behind the most precious time I have ever known and could ever know, in the cool of the day with God.  Oh, what I’ve traded for my indulgence!

It was only one man, perhaps erroneously killed by oppressive authorities who were jealous of his persuasion over the people.  That injustice was scarcely unique, and is not unique to this day.  Yet the dying man had said prior that his death was voluntary, that there is no greater love than someone who dies for his friends.  He called himself the Good Shepherd and his sheep were people.  He taught denial and lived it and died it.  His proposition was that in giving up his life he was purchasing mine.  And even in that, granting me the volition to say yes or no to him.

That “one act of righteousness” speaks through time.  Hallelujah!  God did not leave me this way.  Blood drips from the veins of the crucified One, not any man but the dying Messiah.  The pleasure fruit and its effects die with him, along with the shame that I bore and curse I swore.

My rebellion is justified, paid for and I am reconciled to take that walk through the garden in the cool of the day again.  My obedience doesn’t come at once, salvation is progressive and my depravity deep and pervasive.  Yet his cleansing deeper still.

My life is his; there is no one else.