Thursday 16 February 2012

The rich young ruler

Allow me to try paraphrasing this story from mark 10

A 5 yr old little young overachiever runs up to 'daddy' Jesus and says
Daddy daddy I want to be the president (or some other almost unattainable positive post)
Jesus replies, the president son? Do you know what that involves ?
You must do this... And this... And this.. And this...
And the 5yr old says. Yes daddy I've done all those things in nursery
Jesus looks upon his child and loves him... Isn't he sweet.?

(taking him seriously as a child and encouraging him)
Ok kiddo... Just one more thing as a next step
You've got to take all your toys and give them to your friends to gain election votes
What?! He replies. I can't do that...
And is very sad
So is Jesus

Why do they want to do such silly things... And not just let me love them...sigh...
-----

So thats a terrible caricature ... But I think it captures the feelings between the two

On another note.. Jesus mentions the 6 latter commandments not so much because he wants to show the omission of the first 4., but he wants to show him that he did not fulfil the summary of the commandments - I.e. to love your neighbour as yourself. He does this in a positive way since he is a little earnest

Then he explains that to love your neighbour as yourself would involve giving everything you have to at least equalise yourself with the poor. By definition

To be good however... Means to 'lay down your life for others'
Therefore only the Father is good . Since He gave up His Son already - all he had for others
Jesus will soon become good when he does the same - with his life.

Saturday 4 February 2012

The 'Silence' of Creation

Creation was made 'speechless' on purpose

A harmonious concert that plays in the background,
or a vivid painting of brilliant colour

It was meant to not say anything by itself - hence it cannot save,
and by itself cannot offer any meaningful knowledge of its composer

In fact, it can be misinterpreted by those who do not know Him
to say anything they want it to say

It is only when the Word, comes and explains its creation
Does everything make sense - and then we say...
'oh I see... of course that's what it meant'

Therefore the church is the Word meant to both preserve a crumbling creation
- preserve in the sense that it must keep it pointing to its Master, when decay attacks it
and it must speak the Word that creation was never meant to say

Creation was made to be reserved for the Word to speak... it is the necessary background music