As the rain and snow

“O Lord, how many are my foes!
    Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
    ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
    my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord,
    and he answered me from his holy hill. 

I lay down and slept;
    I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
    who have set themselves against me all around.” Psalm 3:1-6

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
    the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10

Neighbors’ chimes doled a melodious background to the wind shrushing through trees in the chilly dark before dawn. Where I sit, ours hang still and silent, sheltered from the gusty pushing. Within the tower, behind the shield that is our Lord, we are safe from the blow of trouble.

Isn’t this our position in Christ these world-windswept days? We hear the chatter of voices, the clamor of dissension, the cacophony of angry disagreement; we observe changing industry and noisy instability in institutions great and small. Yet, tightly held in Jesus’s name, we are untouched. It is well with our souls. No threat, no blow, need shake or topple us. We stand secure, and if we tune our hearts, can delight in the heavenly music.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalm 91:1-2

We may try to erect other shelters- of knowledge, regulated discipline, financial security, schedules tidily set on order. But at the sovereign breath of God’s mouth, man’s structures topple and his plans come to naught. A sudden death, a lost job, a strike of violence, a change of command, a pandemic- anything we cannot control can unsettle and forever alter a day, an outlook, a future. But when the Lord is the shield round about us, He lifts our heads to see His grace, to trace His goodness, to hear His voice. In Him alone we are stable and safe.

“O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.” ~Helen Howarth Lemmel (1922)

What is unsettling our peace? What unknowns, or imagined hypotheticals, do we fear? Where have we allowed the world’s drone of dread, danger, or despair seep in to take over our perspective? If we would plant ourselves square in God’s shelter, we can look at the storm, face the wind, and remain calm. We can be still in the midst of turning turmoil. Would we cling now to His strong name?

If we dwell in the shadow of the Most High, whom will we invite to share His shelter and salvation? With whom will we share this good news, that no matter what threatens in the world, Jesus guards our lives and all of our ways?(Psalm 91:9-16)

Father, thank You for tucking me into Your holy Name. From that shelter may I ever sing and share Your salvation.

“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany… So [his] sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

“Jesus told [his disciples] plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him…”  Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days... Martha… went and met him… [and] said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died…’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again… I am the resurrection and the life.Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live…’

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ Jesus… was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled… Jesus wept. The Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” John 11:1,3-6,14-15,17,20-21,23,25,32-33,35-36

“If Jesus loves me, then why…?” “Lord, if only… this wouldn’t have happened.” Our ways and thoughts are so much lower and more limited than our Lord’s! We wallow in earthly difficulties, emote with swinging passions, and tremble at hypotheticals, while the King of kings rules with calm, perfect precision, orchestrating His good and broader plans. Had Lazarus never fallen ill, everyone would have missed… (Isaiah 55:8-9)

The impossibility that only Jesus could solve. The display of His love. The recognition of Jesus as the Resurrection and Life. The experience of sorrow being turned to joy. And, as Jesus Himself foretold, God and His Son glorified in bringing about the miraculous visual aid of Jesus’s purpose on earth.

So, when we are dumbfounded at the bumpy turns in our lives, the impossibilities in hard relationships, the desolation and lack we imagine can never be filled, the conflict we imagine can never be resolved, look for Jesus’s love there. He is deeply and personally in our painful places. He brings us to more profound belief. He is near, and weeps with us. He opens our eyes to deeper truths. And He always brings new life, resurrection of heart and hope.

Jesus raised Lazarus back to life, and they were all able to love and rejoice and linger in person again. He would one day die again, but the glory, the life lessons, would remain. Jesus always does perfectly, righteously, and best. We may not understand or want to accept our circumstances, but in and through them He loves us and shows us facets of Himself we could not be familiar with otherwise. (John 11:38-44)

If He seems to be staying, withholding, not answering, would we look for how He loves us in the waiting? Would we discover His glory there? Would we choose to trust Him and His ways and ask for a richer understanding of the resurrection life?

Father, help me not only to trust Your steadfast love, but be eager and expectant about how You are glorified through that love in the world.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
    and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
    and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
    today I declare that I will restore to you double.” Zechariah 9:9-12

Our King comes, righteous and having salvation. Our King comes, humbly, and purposeful. The babe in a manger, the King on a donkey, comes to take the throne, bring peace, set captives free, and restore. Welcome Him! Return to the stronghold where He reigns and shelters and fights for us!

When the crowds welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem as He fulfilled this prophesy before His death, they got sucked into the hype of His promised kingdom but failed to understand the cross. Swirling in a vortex of emotional passion and worldly thinking, their devotion was short-lived. They eschewed the stability faith offered. (John 12:12-18,37)

The enticements of this world lure us from Jesus, too, promising a more sparkly kingdom. Tedium and sloth and self-pampering can slip us from spiritual purposefulness. Frenzy and doing pull us from the place of rest; antagonism, suspicion, regret, and resentment keep us distant from inner peace. We don’t like to admit it, but we clamor to follow the haughty beast of worldliness, unconsciously allowing ourselves to be enslaved by productivity, comparisons, and affirmation. We neglect, fail to enjoy, or even shun, the freedom from toil and approval Christ offers. (Revelation 13:3-7)

In all these ways we can dally away from the stronghold which is Christ, but the good news is, He comes! He enters our world of urgent and self-interest, of worldliness and inner battles, as humble King for us to receive. He is not distant or hidden, not impossible to reach or know. He plays no tricks, He requires no improvement or charms. Our stronghold is here. Christmas is our invitation to climb the ramparts once again, to return to the stronghold, the best place from which we can live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:27-28)

This holy season, this time of wonder and remembrance and looking forward, would we return to our stronghold from which we cannot be shaken, nor separated from Jesus and His love? (Psalm 61:2; Romans 8:31-39)

“Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.” ~Charles Wesley (1739)

Lord, captivate me with all You are and offer. May Christmas rejoicing be Christmas climbing into the stronghold that is You, Prince of Peace.

“And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest… Joash decided to restore the house of the Lord… So those who were engaged in the work labored, and… restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it. And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made utensils for the house of the Lord, both for the service and for the burnt offerings… And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada. But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death…

“Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the Lord, and served the Asherim and the idols… [The Lord] sent prophets.., but they would not pay attention.  Then Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest said to them, ‘Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you…’ Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him, but killed his son.” 2 Chronicles 24:2,4,13-15,17-20,22

Joash was special from the start, hidden away during his mother’s horrendous massacre of the family, and raised by the priest Jehoiada and his wife. When he took the throne, the faithful priest guided him and the nation in righteousness, and he followed his lead. Until he didn’t. (2 Chronicles 22:10-12; 23:3,8-11,16)

While he did what was right, and demanded following God’s law, we read no mention of his following the Lord Himself. Once Jehoiada died, Joash aligned with the princes of Judah, and that became his downfall. It is never healthy to get too tied to individuals.

Following strong and good leaders is not necessarily wrong, but can be dangerous. A role model or mentor, a charismatic leader or favorite author, should never become a god. There is only one Savior, one Lord and true Master, to whom we should attach. We err when we invest too much admiration and fealty in an individual, a sinner like me, instead of the God they serve. (Romans 3:23)

Danger comes when we erect pedestals that we switch out when we choose. Instead of staying grounded, we are tossed to and fro by cultural or emotional swings. There is only One to follow, the Good Shepherd, who knows us by name and leads perfectly. (John 10:2-4; Ephesians 4:12-14; James 1:6)

Whom do we admire, quote, and want to emulate, and are we keeping them in right perspective? Do we latch onto, and garner favor from, only those who promote our way of thinking, but dismiss or ignore those who say what we don’t want to hear? Do we clamor with the crowds to the whims of popular influencers, but swap out allegiances when their popularity wanes, or our mood or desires or affections change? Beware the deceitful heart! (Jeremiah 17:9)

Does what we say and do point those we lead to Jesus and His word? Do we, even subconsciously, train our children to follow us rather than their God?

Lord, help me discern Your voice and follow You first, the One uniquely worthy of my surrender and allegiance. And may my following You be a draw for others to follow You too.

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice..;
a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged
    till he has established justice in the earth…

“Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
    and spirit to those who walk in it:
‘I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
    I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
    a light for the nations,
    to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name;
    my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to carved idols.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
    I tell you of them.’” Isaiah 42:1-9

“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus,.. he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

 ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace;
 for my eyes have seen your salvation
     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.’” Luke 2:21-22,25-32

Compassion for our helpless estate brought Jesus to earth. When Christmas sprang forth, former promises and longings came to fruition. Christ came bearing justice as our ransom at the cross, light for revelation, hope and freedom, salvation to all who believe, and glory to God. When we welcome Him, His peace floods our souls. (John 3:16; 8:32; 1 John 1:9)

Celebrating Christmas, we can rejoice in all Jesus brought, and brings today. If we are His children, we sing with Simeon that we behold in the star, the manger, and the child in the temple, the Lord’s Christ, the living Salvation of God.

How will we be agents of His compassion? To whom will we proclaim ‘justice has been served on your behalf, you can see with eyes of faith, you can walk free’? With whom will we rejoice that Salvation has sprung forth, and we can enjoy its delights?

Lord, may the hope, joy, and consolation of Christmas spring forth in me, bring delight to You, and spread hope to Your people.

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed over him,’
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13

“O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
    and you will not hear?
Or cry to you ‘Violence!’
    and you will not save?” Habakkuk 1:2

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” Revelation 22:20-21

How long, Lord? Come deliver, come save, come heal, come comfort, come help, come redeem! All that was anticipated and hoped and longed for in the promised Immanuel came in the arrival of the Son of God. Not just in His birth, but in why He came and what He did: ransom us from captivity.

Captivity of sin, which grips us in a chokehold of weak necessity until He dominates as Victor. Captivity of despair in present malaise of meaning or shroud of despondence, as the Hope of Israel. Captivity of the overwhelm of a life-threatening disease or an empty future until the Savior makes all things new. Captivity of fear over this present darkness and the unknown, or financial insecurity or suffering to come, until the Lord speaks “Peace, be still”and calms the soul. Captivity of isolation and loneliness, until He dwells within as dearest comfort and heavenly friend. Immanuel Jesus swallowed “how long?” in victorious “now.” (Jeremiah 14:8; Matthew 8:23-27; John 14:16;16:33; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; Revelation 21:5)

All these He accomplishes as our Ransom. He came to redeem all sin and its attending fall-out and misery and sadness and pain that weigh us down. He accomplished this as our unblemished, perfect Ransom and glorious Savior. His enough has satiated the verdict of our “condemned” and paid the penalty we deserve. (Isaiah 53:3-8; John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

“O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.

O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light.

 O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.” ~Latin, 12th c, translated by J.M. Neale (1851)

Would we carry our every longing, our every “how long?” to the Ransom of our souls and leave them with Him? As we long, let us rejoice. He has heard our cry! Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel has come to thee!

My Savior, keep me rejoicing night and day at Your splendid, sufficient ransom for my soul. May my joy point the way of Your coming to and for others.

“Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years.  And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace. And he said to Judah, ‘Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.’ So they built and prospered. And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows…

“Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried to the Lord his God, ‘O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.’” 2 Chronicles 14:1-11

Asa’s aim was not peace, but purity, and with his thorough cleansing and redirecting of Judah to the LORD, they were blessed with peace. He stood as their leader in removing false gods and shrines, and in prudent building of defenses. He reinstituted proper worship as he secured their land from enemy attack. Peace is always a by-product of doing the right thing and being in a right relationship with God. But peace does not mean the absence of conflict. An army of a million is formidable indeed, but a stilled soul cries out and trusts even then. (2 Chronicles 15:2; Isaiah 9:6)

Peace is what we carry inside when the Lord is Lord of our souls. Peace is what we know when we humbly trust him to deliver, protect, convict, cleanse, and forgive. Peace comes in knowing whose we are and who goes before us. It is a gift like none other from Jesus, a flood and fortress when we turn our cares to Him. In Jesus alone can we sleep, no matter what we face, in heavenly peace. (John 14:27;16:33; Philippians 4:6-7)

“Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
‘Round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.” ~Joseph Moore

What cleansing should I implement, what loves and priorities need adjusting, so Christ’s peace has sole sway?

LORD, keep my soul silent before You, marveling at Your incarnation and alert to Your doings from Your holy dwelling in this world. May Your peace rule me, fill me, and be the fruit of my days. (Zechariah 2:13; Galatians 5:22; Colossians 3:15)

“Jesus [said], ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ So the Pharisees said to him, ‘Your testimony is not true.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going...‘ They said to him therefore, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also…’ 

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…’

They [said], ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did…’ They said to him, ‘We have one Father—even God.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God… Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil… He was a murderer from the beginning, and… there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies… Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.’” John 8:12-14,19,23-32,39,41b-44,47

The Pharisees liked to ask questions, but not accept the answers. They relished arguments they would win, and manipulated conversation to garner confirmation of what they already believed, all to support their own puff and importance. There was no risking faith that would require humbling themselves or changing their minds. They were the experts.

But Jesus the Truth confounded them, turning their arrogant reasoning inside out, exposing their lack of faith. Calmly, logically, He clarified what they didn’t want to admit: they did not abide in the true word, they did not love God, they were not free. Such realities were a smack in their haughty faces, and they bristled at the sting. (John 14:6)

Truth often hurts, because it lays bare what we prefer to hide, and often have spent a lifetime doing. Truth uncovers our lies, our cowardice, our pride. The Savior invites us to reason with Him and be cleansed and released from the devil’s tyranny, but we can be unwilling to believe that is really possible. We decide losing control, our carefully-constructed reputation, and self-made security is too much to risk for such an incomprehensible offer. (Isaiah 1:18)

What locks of pride and stubbornness are keeping us from opening our heart’s door to the Savior? What shame inhibits our trusting the Redeemer? What fear holds us back from surrendering to the Lover of our souls?

Would our hearts welcome Christ to enter in? Would we with meekness risk receiving all He has to give?

“How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of the heav’ns.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him still
the dear Christ enters in.” ~Phillips Brooks (1868)

Lord, teach me risky faith for the sake of knowing and exalting You.

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’

“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:1-2,9-11

Seeing the star doesn’t just happen. It has to be dark, and we have to look up. Outside at night, we might try quickly to adjust to the dark to see in front of us, to make our way in movement. In shadowed circumstances, we might fall to self-pity and woe, or complaint. We will miss the star altogether if we do not stop, turn from ourselves, look up, be still, and gaze into the black expanse.

What ‘night’ has me tripping and bumping in grouchy, angry, or touchy? What areas of my life have I let go to sloth, blame, or sour? What will it take— time, attention, a willful turn of heart– to change my focus and behold the star, the brilliant light, God shines in the middle of dark circumstances?

Will we see Christ’s star this Christmas? Will we wonder at the Creator’s heavenly splendor, His ways of guiding, of lighting our path, of revealing His Son? Will we slip away from the chaos of noise and artificial light to behold Him in silence and surrender? Will we fall down and worship? Who are we, that He would so care for us and show off His measureless love, and beauty, and grace, and power to set in place and sustain? Yet, He comes to us, and brings His light. (Psalm 8:3-4; Colossians 1:16-17)

In the thick of darkness, what are we learning? In pain, what comfort? In despair, what hope? In loneliness, what divine communion? In confusion, what clear way? In overwhelm, what shared yoke? In weakness, what strength? In lack, what supply? In hurt, what balm? What truth is He teaching, what attributes revealing? (Matthew 11:28-30; Philippians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; 12:8-10)

Jesus, the Bright Morning Star, shines in every inch of darkness we encounter. Look for Him there! Trace His path, behold, marvel, follow! (Revelation 22:16)

“Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, 
gold I bring to crown him again, 
King forever, ceasing never, 
over us all to reign.

Glorious now behold him arise; 
King and God and sacrifice: 
Alleluia, Alleluia, 
sounds through the earth and skies.

O star of wonder, star of light, 
star with royal beauty bright, 
westward leading, still proceeding, 
guide us to thy perfect light.” ~John H. Hopkins (1857)

Lord, keep me trekking on the journey of each day, and of my life, watching and following the Star that is You. Keep me looking up and moving forward in expectant and increasing faith, that I will point others to Your resplendence.

“He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him…’ Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.’ So he went and washed and came back seeing.

 “The neighbors were saying, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?..’ So they said to him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ ¹¹ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” So I went and washed and received my sight.’ ¹² They said to him, “Where is he?”

“It was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ So the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight… ‘He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.’ Some said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?..’

“For the second time [the Jews] said to him, ‘We know that this man is a sinner.’ He answered, ‘Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’” John 9:1-3,6-8,10-12,14-16,24-25

Seeing the blind man, the disciples jumped to judgment and wanted to assign blame. They tripped over the why, and thought attributing cause would be resolving. Wouldn’t you think they’d have some compassion?

His neighbors stumbled over the impossibility of it all. How was the beggar healed? Was this really he? How and who and where? Who was this healer? Wouldn’t you think they’d marvel at the miracle, ask what it was like to see for the first time, and embrace him?

The self-righteous Pharisees consumed themselves with rules, castigating this ‘sinner’ who would do such an appalling thing as stir mud on the Sabbath. Their feet tripped on tradition, their fingers wagged, their fists shook. Wouldn’t you think they’d look beyond legalism to consider the marvelous transformation of this young man and his family?

What about us? When others fall, or are stuck in unfortunate life circumstances, do we blame, criticize, dismiss, or strut in superiority to avoid them? Shouldn’t we care enough to enter their pain, come alongside, and do what we can to assist and encourage? When someone chooses a different style or political view than we prefer, follows an unusual career path, or applies Scripture differently (but sincerely), do we nitpick and major on minors? Shouldn’t we could exercise the maturity and grace to value our fellow image-bearers, accept differences, look at the big picture, and do what we can to keep unity in the bond of peace? (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Wouldn’t you think we could be like Jesus? The key is rememberng the one thing: we were blind, and now we see. Jesus saves, and He in grace saved us, based on nothing we’ve done or deserved. And because of this we can shake off the tangle of flesh, freely rejoice, and love with genuine compassion.(Romans 12:15; Ephesians 2:8-10)

Lord, elevate my thinking and living to Your ways and ends.