LOVE STEPS DOWN

Joshua 24:1-33; Luke 21:1-28; Psalm 89:38-52; Proverbs 13:20-23

“Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God….’ But the people said to Joshua, ‘No! We will serve the LORD.’  Then Joshua said, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.’ ‘Yes, we are witnesses,’ they replied.”

“People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory.  So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Christ is coming! The Great Immanuel, God with us, really will be soon. Of course, the Spirit never left us. But each year about this time, most of us can use the tangible reminders of Jesus’ presence. The year is winding down, work takes on a different pace, and we find ourselves longing for the spiritual renewal Christmas offers. If only we took it more seriously. What could be more awesome the very God of the Universe lowering Himself to the human level just so He could love us better and more personally? It’s really too much to comprehend.

After all, consider what Jesus Himself said about His next physical intervention into human affairs. The heavens themselves will be shaken. He will come on the clouds in great power and glory in the midst of earthquakes, wars and roaring seas. This will be no silent night, and no manger will hold Him. Now, we’re talking! That’s what a Savior, a Messiah, should do. There’s a Lord we could accept. What else could one do but fall at the feet of a Being like that and worship? Come to think of it, things might have been a lot easier, or at least clearer, if Jesus had come that way in the first place.  When it comes to power, overcoming evil and setting things right, the God in the Clouds is certainly easier to believe and hope in than the Babe in the Manger.

Inevitably, then, some will ask why God bothered with Bethlehem. Why not just take charge, cut to the chase and forget about all this “becoming human” stuff? I don’t want to presume to speak for Him, but from where I stand, it pretty much looks like God just isn’t interested in taking complete command of Creation as long as it means losing us. The Lord knew justice always has to come first; the price of sin must be paid for the Holy to dwell with the tarnished. God’s righteousness cannot be compromised. He also knew what the consequences would be to His children if holiness just took over. So, instead of exercising authority and power that was rightfully His, God stepped down. He surrendered His place and omnipotence for a dirty, dusty stable and a people who did not deserve in any respect the Gift He ultimately gave.

At some point, that’s what all love must do: step down. My kids, for instance, are very confused right now. The two youngest are home from college for Christmas and beginning to talk about adult life and real plans for their future. I have always been a pretty strong Dad. There’s never been much question about my opinions or approval (or lack thereof) or my leadership. But now, when the kids recognize they are at the most important crossroads of their young lives, suddenly, Dad’s kind of quiet. He’s keeping his thoughts to himself, and letting them make the decisions. They complain it feels like I’m not supporting them, or worse, that I’m not even paying attention. If they only knew how much discipline this self-imposed silence requires! Still, painful as it is, I know this is the better way, now. I’m giving them a chance to fly… or not… on their own. In time and love, I pray their journey will lead them back to me and that we can rejoice together for the adults they have become. But regardless, I do not want my children never to realize their own potential because they never fully exercise their own free will. They simply must make their own decisions. They know what they have to know to make the right choices. They just have to learn how to live out and live with their preferences before they will ever fully appreciate what a blessed place home really was, and still is.

The journey from sinner to saint, from hell to our heavenly home, is much the same. We begin by claiming independence. Sooner or later, if we’re either blessed or very lucky, we find independence is simply the fastest way to loneliness and isolation. We can – and frequently do - stubbornly insist on keeping to that path, regardless. But the truly blessed and wise eventually turn back, walk with their Father and, in that self-surrender, find wisdom, peace and true fellowship instead of just education and discipline. There is beauty in sharing the responsibilities of life in a loving relationship with Christ. But there would be no relationship to share if He had not come to die for us first. Love is always willing to step down, if that’s what it takes to lift others up.