Go Home
There was a little dog that showed up in our yard out of nowhere this afternoon. At first it was just kind of cute, and our dog, Moses, was having lots of fun running around with it. But after I went for a walk two times around the block with it following me (other than random squirrel chases), I felt like I heard the voice of "Doug"--the little dog from the movie "Up."
"Hi Master! You are my master and I will follow you. SQUIRREL! I like you, Master."
I told it to go home. Several times. But it lazed about the yard all evening. When we checked later, I was glad to see it was gone. But when Mom checked even later, it was back on the porch. "I was waiting for you, Master. Ha. Ha. I tricked you, Master."
"GO HOME!" I said, because really, it broke my heart to wonder if it didn't have a home. What if it was looking for home? And I was being so cold and unfeeling. I wanted to believe that it had a nice, loving family who put that chain collar around its matted furry neck; who gave it food, and was worried about its absence. However, seeing it laying on our porch didn't help me believe my little story. I knew we couldn't take care of another dog. So its existence in our yard was nothing more than a problem. We couldn't feed it--or it would come back. But who wants to see a dog starving in their yard? "GO HOME." At last check, it is not in our yard, and I like to assume it is back in its little dog house, eating delicious dog food, secured on a nice dog-line.
Ignorance is bliss. If I don't see the problem, the problem doesn't exist. It works with stray dogs. It works with humans.
But it didn't work for Jesus. One day, a man with an awful skin disease knelt down before Him, begging for healing: If you are willing, you can make me clean. Some translations say Jesus was moved with compassion; others say He was indignant, maybe because of the way sin had so badly hurt one of his children. Either way, it affected Jesus deeply, and He couldn't resist. He reached out and touched the man, and said, I am willing. Be clean! And with that touch, the man became clean--and Jesus became unclean, according to Jewish law.*
Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God. (2 Cor. 5:21, NCV)
You see, Jesus didn't close His eyes to suffering and sin--He entered our world of pain and sin so He could take it away. And He not only took away our disease of sin (mercy), He also gave us His life of righteousness (grace). He gave up His home and life, so we could have a place to belong with the Father.
Therefore, there are no homeless wanderers on God's porch--every beggar, leper, sinner and stray finds an open door and a place to belong. Welcome Home.
*Mark 1:40-45; Leviticus 13
"Hi Master! You are my master and I will follow you. SQUIRREL! I like you, Master."
I told it to go home. Several times. But it lazed about the yard all evening. When we checked later, I was glad to see it was gone. But when Mom checked even later, it was back on the porch. "I was waiting for you, Master. Ha. Ha. I tricked you, Master."
"GO HOME!" I said, because really, it broke my heart to wonder if it didn't have a home. What if it was looking for home? And I was being so cold and unfeeling. I wanted to believe that it had a nice, loving family who put that chain collar around its matted furry neck; who gave it food, and was worried about its absence. However, seeing it laying on our porch didn't help me believe my little story. I knew we couldn't take care of another dog. So its existence in our yard was nothing more than a problem. We couldn't feed it--or it would come back. But who wants to see a dog starving in their yard? "GO HOME." At last check, it is not in our yard, and I like to assume it is back in its little dog house, eating delicious dog food, secured on a nice dog-line.
Ignorance is bliss. If I don't see the problem, the problem doesn't exist. It works with stray dogs. It works with humans.
But it didn't work for Jesus. One day, a man with an awful skin disease knelt down before Him, begging for healing: If you are willing, you can make me clean. Some translations say Jesus was moved with compassion; others say He was indignant, maybe because of the way sin had so badly hurt one of his children. Either way, it affected Jesus deeply, and He couldn't resist. He reached out and touched the man, and said, I am willing. Be clean! And with that touch, the man became clean--and Jesus became unclean, according to Jewish law.*
Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God. (2 Cor. 5:21, NCV)
You see, Jesus didn't close His eyes to suffering and sin--He entered our world of pain and sin so He could take it away. And He not only took away our disease of sin (mercy), He also gave us His life of righteousness (grace). He gave up His home and life, so we could have a place to belong with the Father.
Therefore, there are no homeless wanderers on God's porch--every beggar, leper, sinner and stray finds an open door and a place to belong. Welcome Home.
*Mark 1:40-45; Leviticus 13
I'll take the dog if he comes back.
ReplyDeleteThis was beautifully written!
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