God is an unusual God, shockingly, disturbingly so. In Jesus’ parable of the watchful servants (Luke 12:35-40), the master’s servants are to be dressed to serve with lamps burning, alert and ready attend to their master at any time he might return home. However, should the master return and find them thus ready, he turns their world upside down. The master prepares his clothing to serve, has them recline at the table, and attends to them! How shocked Jesus’ disciples must have felt about this anomalous, backward, and unthinkable behavior of the master.
Although this parable is told in the context of disciples of Jesus needing to be prepared for his return, this inconceivable divine behavior is consistent with the character of God. Starting with the creation, unlike ancient Near Eastern stories in which the gods create subservient humans, Yahweh (the Israelite personal name of God) plants a garden of fruitful trees, even a tree of life; and, Yahweh is present to walk and talk in intimate relationship (Gen 2). Jumping ahead to the covenant the people made with Yahweh: Were a people to make a covenant with the Creator and break it, that should be the end. Not so with Yahweh, despite repeated violations, God remains faithful to the covenant. Unthinkable!
In all honesty, I do not fathom God’s upheaval of what is right and just in order to condescend to care for me. It is disturbing. But in my sinfulness, it is not as disturbing as it should be. I should be on my face weeping. Quite obviously, mentally I cannot wrap my arms around this stunning behavior of my Creator.
Lord, may your astonishing grace sink ever deeper into my realization of who You are and what I am in your sight. I am an ungrateful blind man who has been given sight. Keep me disturbed. I do want to be faithful to You. Amen.
Amen! Sharyn Dowd
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