David Bahn - Reflections

Thousands of good men and women have come and gone who have lived exemplary lives, and made incredible sacrifices. Think Mother Teresa. Martin Luther. Paul himself. But none had power over death. None could raise the dead. None came back to life on the third day. None sit at the right hand of God. The best people who ever live have great limitations to their ability to help us in our hour of greatest need. But Jesus is God and has all power to help us in our greatest need.

Jesus is God. He lives to comfort, heal, bless, and save. He does that because he loves us. He is the Good News of God.

Today we recognize Jesus not only as David’s Son, but also as his Lord. He is our Lord, too, the very Son of God. In fact if Jesus isn’t God he should be dismissed out of hand. But he is God in the flesh - a mystery of profound grace and truth. We worship the man Jesus who is God. We worship the Son of God, Jesus who took on human flesh for us. He is both David’s Son and David’s Lord, and our Savior from sin, death, and hell.

When I was baptized I wore a white robe which I thought was just a matter of wearing something rather than my clothes - or even a swim suit. But the symbolism there is worth noting. Through baptism our sins are washed away. We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. God calls us his own.

I may not be a clothes horse. But O, my Lord, [Jesus has] dressed me. And I am a wonder dressed in his robes of righteousness! (cf. Walter Wangerin, The Ragman)

In Paul's day special duty slaves called child conductors were assigned to young boys. These trustworthy slaves were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood. The boys probably didn't like that much, and may have tried to find ways of getting around these super-strict child-conductors.

What if we could simply ask God for anything and leave that request at the foot of the cross for him to do as he sees fit with it? What if we could apologize to our friend or family and make no excuse but ask for forgiveness? What if we could be certain of God’s love pure and without strings attached? What if we never had to make an excuse for a failure but could simply ask for forgiveness? We can do that because we are no longer under law, we are under grace. That is a freedom we must never take for granted nor abuse.

I greatly appreciate Paul's example here. He is firm in his conviction and patient in his teaching. That's a powerful combination. Perhaps that is why this letter is so powerful and popular. There is much to learn, believe, and assimilate here. Most of all it has to do with our place in the kingdom of God, by grace through faith. It is also about not being swayed by pious sounding ideas that call into question our place in the heart of God. That place has been secured by Jesus, who is the perfect combination and balance of solicitous fortitude.

Years ago, my vicarage supervisor shared a key insight that has stuck with me for decades: the focus of our quest for truth should not be truth for its own sake, but truth for the sake of the gospel. Whatever issues we may need to clarify, prove, or agree upon, let them serve the gospel message! Let the message of Christ crucified and risen carry the weight of eternal truth. This is the truth that matters most and the truth that sets us free.

Some like to think of the Holy Spirit in human terms as the bashful person of the Holy Trinity. He's happy when Jesus gets the attention. In fact Jesus said of the Spirit, "He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you" (John 16:14). 

We are blessed to have received the gift of the Holy Spirit together with all his gifts and workings in the the world, in the church, and in our lives.

The just shall live by faith may have been confusing to them. But it doesn't have to be. It means that we who believe the promises of God, believe that he is good, believe that his grace is fully given in Jesus of Nazareth, God's Son, are right with God. It's a matter of what we think of God. And the enlightenment  of those things comes from God's Holy Spirit, working in our hearts.

Faith is realizing that God is good, faithful, just, holy, and gracious. Faith is believing that Jesus is God's Son and our Savior. Faith is trusting in God's promises. Faith is simple and profound all at once. The smallest child can have faith, and the wisest believer can fathom faith's depths and never reach it's ending.

Wherever you or I may be on that continuum we can be sure that God honors faith, and that we are part of God's plan for the redemption of lost people and a broken creation.