In A Nutshell (A very large nutshell).

Ok, so, I know I said that there would be two additional posts to follow my previous two, in order to deal with disagreements in faithful interpretation of Scripture, and perhaps I will still do that in the days to come.  However, I have just finished reading the book of Joshua and reading Psalms 78-81, and, in so doing, I was struck by some things that I believe are really important.  Basically, this is my whittled down understanding of, well, everything.  Indulge me, for a moment (or a few moments, given the typical length of my blog entries), as I take us through on a little journey through the relationship between God and humanity, and speak briefly about what I understand to be the point of it all...  


God.
   Ok, so, first, we have God (the Father, the one who's depicted with a white flowing beard, YHWH, Jehovah).  So, God has always been around--God exists outside of time, outside of space and, of course, outside of the scope of our understanding of such things.  In seeking to understand the very nature and being of God, we realize that it's impossible, and all other metaphysical sorts of questions seem simplistic in comparison.  But, anyway, God, at whatever point in reality and time, is like, "Hey, I want to put together a planet.  I want to create some beings to live there.  That seems fun, and they'll be able to serve and worship me, which would be pretty neat.  I think I'll make the earth on which they live a viable place for sufficiency.  I'll make sure they can eat and drink and rest and all that jazz, and there won't ever be any problems as long as they listen to me."  So, God creates our earth.  (By the way, whatever you may think in the evolution vs. creation debate, to me, it doesn't matter--they don't have to be mutually exclusive entities in my mind.  As I've said in other blogs, it drives me nuts that, so often, we think that "science" and "faith" can't co-exist, let alone correlate.)


So, Earth is here, and God's like, "That's awesome.  I'm really pleased with the results.  I especially love the humans I made--I'm going to go ahead and just let them take care of the land and the animals and plants on the Earth.  I created them with the capacity to do so and, of course, I'll be here for them whenever they need me.  They've gotta love and serve me, since I made them...right?!  Who else would they trust??"


Annnnnnd then, there's that whole sin thing.  That whole business of eating the fruit of the tree--the one stinkin' tree that we weren't supposed to touch--and life was a mess for the rest of us.  It's the first example of God saying, "Hey, all you have to do is listen to me, and life will be great" and us saying, "Yeaaaaah, I'm gonna go with a 'no' on that one."  We tend to judge Adam and Eve, but are we really any different?


Ok, so, God is frustrated because He's only created two people, and already, these two people have found a way to mess up.  He realizes that, perhaps, we're not so capable of tending to the things that He's given us, but He hasn't given up on us yet.  Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden, but are allowed to continue living.  They do have consequences for their disobedience, of course, but God continues to be present and available to them.


And repeat.


See, over and over and over again, the Old Testament has stories of God saying, "Hey guys!!! I'm here!!!! LISTEN--that's ALL you have to do is LISTEN to me!!!"  And people saying, "Um...I'm pretty sure I've got this one, God" or "I'm pretty sure that my statue of Baal has got this" or whatever, and refusing to listen and obey.  So then God's like, "Well...ok, if these people don't want to listen to me, then they must face the consequences.  Maybe that will help them understand!!!"  And then something unpleasant happens--you know--war, famine, plagues, etc.  And then, God's people are like, "Oh...yeah...hey God. Sooo, what's up with all the crap we're going through right now?  Can you make it stop?  We promise we'll be good and faithful.  We promise we'll tell everyone about how awesome you are and about how you saved us and, you know, all the other stuff that we totally know is true."  And God says, "Well, ok.  I mean, I'm glad you're at least coming back to talk to me.  And I love you dearly (which, ahem, is why I wanted you to obey me in the first place...don't you know I have a much better understanding of everything than all of you combined ever could?!), so sure, I'll save you from all this stuff.  Trust me, I didn't like having to do it in the first place, but your disobedience warranted it.  How else would you learn?!"  And the people respond with, "Hooray!  God you're great!  Let's write a psalm and sing and dance and feast!"  Five minutes later, "Man, life is awesome.  I'm so glad we managed to do all of this!!!" (God in the background: "Wait...did I just hear that right?  Are they taking credit for all of the good things they have??  Seriously, guys?  Didn't we just go over this?  And you're already disobeying me?  AGAIN?  Oy vey!!!) (Yes, apparently God speaks Yiddish in this retelling).


Fast forward for a little while.


God is really, really sick and tired of being ignored, betrayed, rejected, disobeyed, forgotten, denied, blamed, cursed, and all of the other things that humanity does at one point or another throughout the Old Testament.  So, finally, He's like, "Ok, Jesus, now is the time.  It's your turn.  Maybe they're not getting it because I have been speaking to them through wind and through burning bushes and through donkeys and through prophets who only sometimes have any credibility with the people who hear their messages.  If we just give them a real-life example of how to live--of what obedience looks like--then maybe they'll understand, and follow suit.  But, if you just show up as an adult, then you'll have no credibility as a human, since you won't have gone through all of that crazy infant/childhood/adolescent business that comes with being a human.  I know this woman--her name's Mary--and, of course, she's not perfect, but she's pretty great.  She's a virgin, and I'm thinking that your grand entrance into this world is going to be via her womb.  I've sent my angels to talk to her--and to her fiancé, Joseph--so that they know what's going on.  Joseph's a little hesitant about the whole
thing, but he'll come around."  


So, Jesus is on board with the whole plan, and, thus, we celebrate Christmas.  He is born in crazy conditions in Bethlehem, goes through his "terrible twos" (though, without sinning or rebelling...imagine that!), loses his parents in the synagogue as a tween (but has a really good reason), probably feel embarrassed when his voice changes, needs to start shaving (or, would, perhaps, if he had a razor), and then we meet him again at around age 30.  (Incidentally, I will be 30 this year.  Big shoes to fill.)


Jesus has always known who he is, and has always known that his role on Earth is to demonstrate two things with unshakable consistency: obedience and love.  He also knows that the only way that he can really help people understand these concepts is to tell people himself (he's heard about all of these other groups--Pharisees and Sadducees and such--who think they've got everything figured out, but they are way off base).  But, no one likes to travel alone, so Jesus goes around and enlists some guys to travel with him.  Twelve of them, to be exact.  So these 12 guys are like, "Hey, we're not doing anything all that special, and this guy seems to know what's going on.  Sure, I'll leave everything else to follow him.  I kinda want to see where this goes!"  And so, off they go, touring Israel, and attempting to deliver the messages that Jesus knows he's responsible for delivering: obedience and love.  He sets an example, even among his own disciples, through his regular prayer time to connect with God, but also demonstrates these two truths: obedience and love--through miracles, through answering the barrage of questions he receives from the many and varied doubters, through the forgiveness of all sorts of people for their sins, through stories and parables and healings.  I mean, if you want visual aids, Jesus is your guy.  He consistently honors people who demonstrate love and obedience.  He hangs out with people who have not received love and obedience from others, to ensure that they know they're just as entitled as everyone else.  He is angered by blatant acts of disobedience and hate.  


And, finally, God and Jesus have a little chat.  They both know it's coming, of course (they've known from the start), but it's not a conversation that either one of them is real eager to have: 
 "Hey God, it's me.  You know--your son--that whole fully human, fully God part of the Trinity."  
"Yeah, yeah, Jesus, I know.  You're part of me, duh."  
"Yeah, so, hey...I was just wondering...you know that stuff that's coming up?  That whole death-on-a-cross thing?  Yeah...is there any way that I can get out of that?  I mean, I'll do it if I have to, but I'm kinda hoping that there's another way out."
"Jesus, trust me...this is incredibly painful for me, too, but it's the only way.  I just love everyone else too much--and I know you do, too--but someone has to face the consequences for all of this disobedience.  And you're the only one qualified to pay for everyone else's disobedience since you don't have any of your own stuff for which to ask forgiveness."
"Yeah, I thought that's what you'd say.  Well, okay.  I'll do it.  But I'm not going to like it!"
"Neither am I, Jesus...neither am I."


Jesus knows what's going on, and he knows he can't escape.  So, he decides to eat dinner with his buddies one last time before he dies.  He tries to explain what's going on but the guys just don't get it (and maybe it's better that way).  One pal, Peter, is on to something, though, because he's like, "Dude, Jesus...man, I got your back, no matter what."  Wincing a bit (and, perhaps, wishing he didn't know quite so much about everything), Jesus says, "Yeah, thanks for the sentiment, Pete, but you're actually going to tell people you don't even know me three times before that crazy rooster we hear every morning makes a sound.  You just wait and see."


But, anyway, Jesus and his pals sit down to dinner...it's the same old stuff--bread and wine--and Jesus thinks to himself, "Hey!  Maybe if I can associate love and obedience with bread and wine--stuff that these guys eat every single day--then they'll always be reminded that those are the important things to do."  So, he breaks the bread and tells them that it's his body, and he drinks, then passes, the cup of wine, and tells them that it's his blood.  And he says, "Every time you eat bread and every time you drink wine, think of me."  The guys, still clueless, are like, "Ok, whatever you say, man."  Eventually, they'll be grateful for this moment.


Then, of course, Judas Iscariot falls into the trap of disobedience in the way of greed and betrayl.  He is a little short on cash, so he agrees to hand Jesus over for a little cushion for his bank account.  Jesus is captured (and, has already called Judas out for this, by the way), and is taken in for questioning.  No one likes his answers, despite the fact that they're true.  How, after all, can this man, this Jesus, be the Savior?  How can he be the Son of God when so many of the things that he does go against all of the laws and practices that generations of people have been perfecting (or, so they think)?  Of course, at this point, God's probably just shaking His head, thinking, "You guys are missing the point.  Again.  If I weren't God and, therefore, all-knowing, I would've lost count how many times you've almost figured it out, but not really owned Truth and, here he is, Jesus, living this life that shows you what you need to know...and, even still...you think you know better.  So. Sad."


Of course, we all know what happens.  Jesus undergoes incredible amounts of torture and humiliation and pain and agony (and, according to one account, even tries one last time to see if God can modify The Plan to save Jesus from this stuff).  And, in this act, Jesus gives us the undeniable, concrete, ultimate demonstration of the two things he's been trying to convey throughout his life: obedience and love.  And, on the cross, he dies.  He didn't deserve it.  He lived a life that, in every sense of the word, was without shame, without hate, without disobedience: Jesus lived a life that was completely without sin.  And no one else can claim that.  Ever.  


God said, "Hey guys.  You guys are constantly searching for something.  You're constantly trying to make things better.  But the things that you seek--the things that you think would make your life better--they're all wrong.  I've been here the whole time.  Don't you remember?  I made you--how could anyone know better than me what is best for you?  You want to know love?  Instead of requiring that you pay all of consequences for the wrongs that you've done (and you've done a lot of things wrong)--and, well, frankly, the consequence for all of that is death--instead of requiring that you die, Jesus went ahead and did it for you.  He wasn't real excited about it--it was actually excruciatingly painful--but that's love.  Real love. It is self-sacrificing.  Love does what everything else cannot.  I want so desperately to be with you, and to share in life with you, that all of your wrongdoings are wiped out.  Expunged.  Forgotten.  I really hope you can understand that."


Three days later, we get another major "Where were you when...?" type of moment.  Jesus, who was just witnessed by hundreds at his execution, cannot be found.  He's not in his tomb anymore, and no one can account for his body.  "Oh, wait...that's him over there!" is the eventual cry of people who, through various means (depending on the account) come to learn that Jesus is alive.  God's like, "Yes, I (well, really, YOU) needed Jesus to die to pay the consequences for your inability to love and obey well.  But, also, I--and Jesus, who is God, too--am bigger than death.  Do you believe us NOW?!"


**Cricket cricket**


Enter the Holy Spirit, Stage Right.


See, after Jesus rose from the dead, there were a whole bunch of people who finally came to believe in the Truths that He lived and that God has been trying to get through the stubborn minds and hearts of people for thousands of years.  But, even still, we weren't getting it.  And so, when Jesus was ready to leave again, He was like, "Welp, I'm headed back to Heaven now, folks, but I can tell that you need all the help you can get here on Earth.  Here's the Holy Spirit--I know, I know, you can't see it, but believe me, it's there.  The Holy Spirit is effective because it can live within you.  You can access it at any time.  You can rely on it to help you do things that, apart from it--apart from me--apart from God, you are incapable of doing.  Take advantage of the Holy Spirit, everyone--trust me, you're gonna need it."


And, of course, the stories that follow in Scripture give plenty of evidence that we repeat all of the very same things that we had up to that point.  We disobey.  We hate.  We get so caught up in the rules and regulations that we forget that, when God gave them to us, they were intended as means to an end, rather than an end in itself.  Those rules (if we choose to see them as such) are really just more specific examples of What Not To Do when what we seek is to be loving and obedient.


Fast forward, again, to today.


Not unlike many teenagers think when their parents try to advise them, there is a tendency to think "Oh, the Bible doesn't apply to us.  We're going through totally different things than they did.  It can't possibly relate.  If we were to talk to, say, Moses or Paul, they just wouldn't understand.  We have so many different things in our culture today."


Wrong.


If it isn't evident by this point in this (told-you-it-would-be) lengthy blog, the problem is that we continue to do exactly what everyone else did before us.  We disobey.  We refuse to love.  Sure, that manifests itself in different ways, but I am neither more nor less innocent than you if the underlying realities of disobedience and hate are even a small part of my life (and, of course, though I wish they weren't, they are).  


But, lest you be disheartened, scroll back up to the part where Jesus dies.  That counted for me and you too, you know.   


And, perhaps the part where we disobey and hate the most is in this: we forget--or refuse to believe--or ignore--that God's love is for everyone.  Jesus died for everyone.  He didn't just die for people who believed in Him.  He didn't just die for people who were getting things right.  On the contrary, the whole purpose behind his death--the demonstration of his love and obedience--was wholly and completely to die for people who were getting everything wrong.  


The wrongest people to ever exist are still covered by Jesus' death.


My last two posts ask--and seek to answer--questions about how we can attempt to appropriately respond to this reality, once we can finally understand--if even on a limited basis--its magnitude.  And, I stand by the things that I said (at least, until someone can help me understand things even more clearly).  But, in the end, it all boils down to this--the message that God has been trying to convey in every way possible throughout the existence of humanity--OBEY GOD.  LOVE GOD.  


We can't change anyone else.  Even Jesus, the perfect example of love and obedience, didn't change everyone during his time on Earth.  But we can ask for the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, in an effort to change ourselves.  Love and obedience.  That, my friends, is the point.