Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

Rescue and ransom

Monday, December 18, 2017

From Psalm 72
The Lord rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help. He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor. From extortion and violence he redeems them, for precious is their blood in his sight. Blessed be his glorious name forever.

And just how does the Lord rescue me when I'm poor?

In the interests of nation-building and power-brokering we have settled on what we call "patriarchy" as our preferred instrument of rescue. Teddy Roosevelt said it this way, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Although God promises that his presence is enough to relieve our anxiety and free us from fear, we mostly choose self-protection and defensive violence instead.

In other words, when push comes to shove, we must fight harder than those who fight against us. The strongest survive to fight another day, or so they say (see tomorrow's lectionary for a further update on this sheltered optimism).

But triumphalism is not the only way to look at rescue. My friend Vinny preached a sermon the other day about another way. He put Isaiah's words in chapter 7 (Wednesday's lectionary reading) into historical context. King Ahaz was under attack and full of fear. His adviser, Isaiah, told him, "The Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel." Immanuel means "God with us." Isaiah was telling Ahaz to stop looking at the battle and begin looking to the place where "life is cultivated."

Where is life first cultivated? In the womb, of course. Look to the womb and not to weapons.

This is not so easy, because the victory God promises in our psalm for the poor and oppressed may include the shedding of blood. "Precious is their (our) blood in his sight."

In the movie "Hacksaw Ridge," Desmond Doss refused to kill people. And in appreciation for his countless WWII rescues on Okinawa, he became the only American soldier ever to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot. Desmond Doss looked to cultivate life.

Over and over during Advent the words of Isaiah turn our hearts away from our own strength and point us to the womb and the baby, the lamb, the lowly, the meek. Jesus learned to look where life was being cultivated, and always he found his Father there.

The strength Jesus invites in me is the strength more of surrender than of triumph, more of waiting than of moving on up to my own rhythms. And above all, it is the strength of the God-child rather than the self-righteous, muscle-bound patriarch standing tall.

God told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." So Paul told the Corinthians, "In my weakness I am strong." That truth is for us all. Finally we can be free from fear.

I keep hearing the song in my head, "Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the waters." So thank you, Lord, for the tune and the words and the song's truth. Your hand is bigger than Teddy's biggest stick. But it's softer too, and so tender. Let me learn to hold out my hand to you and then reach the other hand out to others. Tenderly.

Devotions Archive

Rescue and ransom

Monday, December 18, 2017