"The daughter of some friends of these friends died in a car crash."
"An 8 year old committed suicide because the bullies just wouldn't leave her alone."
The bitingly sarcastic "And the world is in balance again..."
Abuse... depression... death...
It comes in from all around me, and my heart breaks.
I long reach my hands out and comfort the suffering, but I can barely see through my own tears.
I wish I could wave a magic wand on ease the ache of the pain in the world.
I wish I could say something that would lessen the suffering, lessen their burdens.
But everything I see screams out "inadequate!"
"You are inadequate. You have nothing to offer, nothing you do or say will be of any use.
"How can you dare to think that you can do anything about this? You are so insignificant and this is so huge.
"Everything you hold is inadequate."
And suddenly, I am with Peter and John mounting the steps of the temple, walking past the poor, seeing the pain and the suffering and hearing the cries of the poor. The cries that beg for relief from the fear of not having the next meal, because relief from anything else is too much to hope for.
I stand and watch as Peter stops, eyes focusing on a life-long cripple, begging for money.
I hear his voice saying "silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
I watch as the beggar, astonishment on his face, leapt to his feet for the first time ever. I see him going running and jumping, strength flowing into his legs. The joy on his face is remarkable, and he praises God.
And I know, I know that Peter has given him something far more precious and far more valuable than a few coins cast out of pity. He has given him the Miracle of the Cross.
Because Peter understood that the Cross was not for those who feel no pain - there are none of those!
And Peter understood that the Cross was not for man to hold on to selfishly.
Peter understood that the Cross was a freedom from sin bought at a high, high price.
Peter understood that he was not the possessor of the Cross, the ruler, but the steward at the door, inviting people in.
And this is what I need to understand.
The silver that people today cry out for is compassion. And the gold they long for is comfort
But what use is compassion and comfort separate from the Cross?
I can hug those in pain, and I will. I can sit and weep with those in pain, and I will. But it is not enough.
I am a steward to a far greater gift. What I have to give, is not the emptiness of man, but the Miracle of the Cross.
The Miracle of the Cross will not instantly erase pain. The Miracle of the Cross will not immediately stop abuse, heal depression and reverse death.
The Miracle of the Cross is the knowledge that this will happen, not because of anything that I can offer you, but because the One who created us loved us enough to die for us.
The Miracle of the Cross is the Creator of the World walking among us every day, waiting to take our burdens when we can't carry them and to carry us when we can no longer stand.
And so, when I see those crippled by the pain of this world, I can stand before them and say as Peter did "Silver and gold I have none, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
And though my heart does not stop breaking, and my tears are still ready to flow, I know, I know, that what I have to give them is not inadequate.
It is exactly what they need.
You always give me a lot to think about. I didn't even consider that meaning of that verse.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing, isn't it? The Bible is so rich and so full of meaning! I've heard that story so many times, but it's only been recently that I've been understanding the implications. That's the problem with hearing these stories all the time in Sunday School, we tune out and stop listening to them properly. But I'm glad there is still so much to learn!
DeleteIf you consider how many verses here are and how many meanings for each verse then think of he massive amount of meaning across the whole bible.
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