LIVING HOPE - Reading With the People of God: Part 18ಮಾದರಿ

Perfection

Surrounded by the "ideal" (social media, filtered photographs, polished appearances), our society craves a level of perfection. This idolatry is actually nothing new. As we have been reading through the Old Testament, we have encountered multiple stories of God's people desiring and expecting more than what is in front of them, more than God's promises, and even more than God Himself!

From the Fall in the Garden of Eden until Isaiah's prophesy, God's gifts have not been enough. The expectation was always of bigger, better, flashier...yet our patient, caring, Sovereign God, wanted everyone to experience His ultimate love. His creation of the intricacies of our very being became common place. The splendor of the universe was taken for granted. Acts of miraculous rescue over horrendous warfare from cruel enemies was forgotten and belittled. As He continues to love the people whom He made and chose to carry His message to all the world, He reveals the ironic truth of His steadfast love.

Today as we read, our passages accurately predict what God was willing to do to bridge the gap of sin. In His wisdom, He reveals through Isaiah that His sacrifice would not readily be recognizable. The sacrifice, whom we know centuries later as Jesus, would be like us...not remarkable, not obvious, not expected in the ways of our mind. However, this sacrifice would be the ONLY sacrifice that could cover all sin for all time; and the cruelty of the price that was paid belonged to each of us as sinners.

It is quite easy to say that we would have recognized Jesus, but let’s be honest. We look for the flashy, the comfortable, the things that we can understand and relate to in our flesh. Very rarely do we search for the spiritual in the humblest of places, accept the grotesque consequences of our sin, or recognize what we place before God as our idols. We have the incredible benefit of the New Testament Reading to explain what could not be grasped without God revealing His plan.

We, too, take the message for granted. As we read today, we should ponder who Jesus was; an earthly son, a brother, a friend, a teacher who had all the humanity we have. Then realize the suffering He chose to offer for us as God in the flesh. How can we look for anything beyond THAT perfection of His plan given for us so we can have the privilege of a relationship with our Creator? Are we placing the gift of His sacrifice above everything else in our lives?

Primer contributed by Gaylyn Mott, Christ follower, musician, teacher, yarn artist, member of Cornerstone Community Church of Chowchilla.