Serving Rascals, Clumsy Disciples, and Physically and Mentally Ill Believers with the Unconditional Love of Jesus Christ
A crack in everything. As someone who has experienced brokenness in my life, I appreciate the wisdom of these simple words. You see, I am intensely aware of being different then others.
I had a night job working my way through school frying donuts. I remember clearly an incident were I overheard my boss telling someone that, “Bryan is one of the most eccentric people I have ever met.” Now I honestly was not trying to be odd, or eccentric.
To put this in perspective, I just happened to be taking N.T. Greek at the time and knew that the word for eccentric was a contraction, (of ek, meaning “off, or off to one side, and “centros”, meaning, “center”). He was saying that I was “off centered”. That really troubled me because I always felt like I was intensely stable, and very much a well-balanced person. (But I was just 22. I guess that fact alone explains much.)
Cohen’s poem tells us certain things. First, he describes bells that can’t be used, they don’t work anymore. Second, he tells us of our need to get real and to understand that “a perfect offering” is beyond our capability. Maybe 30 years ago, ‘naive idealism’ might have carried the day for us. But now I’m in my mid-50s and I have tried to figure out a thing or two. By then we start to see the cracks in everything, nothing has gone by untouched. We live in a fallen and broken world.
To learn this deeply, is to turbocharge your recovery. You’re a broken person. But that is actually a good thing. It summons up a discernment of how we grow spiritually.
I find it quite astonishing that the broken, weak, and the burned-out are closer to the Kingdom then the strong, the sure, and the gifted. This is a rich and an incredible truth, we are to see our brokenness and ruination in a whole different perspective. We must see that that is how the light gets in.
“Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.”
Matthew 5:3
“God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.”
Vance Havner
Psalm 138:23-24, NCV
“Examine me | Test me | See me | Lead me.” When we think about an examination, we are never happy or relaxed about it. In our thinking an examination could mean the exposure of weakness. And that is exactly what we want to avoid. Funny though, the psalmist puts himself under the microscope. He invites full disclosure, he anticipates God’s x-ray machine. He wants it.
But his life isn’t perfect or complete. There are fears, and anxieties laying deep inside his heart. Many times this would divide us, and split us from Him. Anxiety will often become a strong wall, that would grow into an issue of some significance. The psalmist moves into God’s presence. So much in him had to be extracted. Understanding that the Father is incredibly aware of us is only the first step.
Examine me | Test me | See me | Lead me. Four words that we must get to know. The Christian life “pivots” on these four words. The four brought together, get dynamically linked into our hearts. These four concepts will become quite critical as we come closer to Him. There is a synergy, when the elements of discipleship are mixed together. For example, if we extract “the examine me” part of this equation, we will not be able to conclude the situations we face very effectively.
I once made a couple loaves of bread where I mistakenly substituted sugar instead of flour. I was frustrated because the lump of dough, was not responding. So what did I do? I added more “flour” which was really powered sugar, from the unmarked canister. Later, what I buried in the backyard was a big lump of something that would never, ever work. Not even if I wished it very hard.
That takes God examining my life, full disclosure of everything. We need to be intimate, by being astonishingly open to Him. The things we share will be confidential. And it will also be essential. “May it be the real me who encounters the real You.”
22 “Immediately Jesus told his followers to get into the boat and go ahead of him across the lake. He stayed there to send the people home.23 After he had sent them away, he went by himself up into the hills to pray. It was late, and Jesus was there alone.24 By this time, the boat was already far away from land. It was being hit by waves, because the wind was blowing against it. 25 Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water.26 When his followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus quickly spoke to them, “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”28 Peter said, “Lord, if it is really you, then command me to come to you on the water.” 29 Jesus said, “Come.” And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. 30 But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?” 32 After they got into the boat, the wind became calm.33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!”
Matthew 14:22-33, New Century Version
When I am in the storm, when the waves are breaking into my boat, my faith is shaky, and I feel abandoned, I turn to Matthew 14.
Jesus sees his disciples in mortal danger. The overloaded boat has been caught in a ferocious storm. It is 3 a.m., and the darkness just makes their situation that more desperate. The idea of imminent drowning has passed through their thoughts. They are terribly afraid.
Suddenly Jesus comes near, he is walking on the water! Their fear turns to stark terror, they want to bolt but there is no place to go. They are thinking that Jesus is a ghost, and that he is coming to escort them to the grave. So Jesus calls out through the raging storm, “It is just me. Do not fear! Have courage.”
Brash Peter (bless him, Lord) yells to Jesus, “If it is you, really you, let me come to you, on the water!” The word ‘if’ is very telling, and it explains much. Peter is soon on the edge of frantic hysteria when he begins to sink while walking to Jesus.
If it was me, I would have let Peter drown. (What an object lesson to teach the 11 sitting in the boat. “See what happens when you have weak faith, you drown!”)
But Jesus is not teaching here, He is loving. He grabs Peter and pulls him out. I find it interesting that the rock on whom Jesus is to build his Church upon sinks like a stone. Peter shows his faith for a brief shining moment, and when he falters and sinks, Jesus catches him.
