As Christians we all have our “religious” symbols as does any other religion (though ought not to be a religion, but rather a relationship). There's the cross, halos, of Christ in various settings - one being amongst a flock of sheep with a lamb on His shoulders. In the Hebrew culture, they have many interesting customs. As my sister just spent five weeks in Israel, I was able to learn some of them. One such custom has to do with the Shepherd and His sheep.
As we all know, springtime is the time when life comes. This is obviously true with a flock of sheep. Lambs are born in the springtime. Sometimes there is a little lamb who will run away from the flock. Because the Shepherd cares for all of his flock, he will retrieve the little lamb and bring it back to its family. But because this little lamb is a wanderer, it will continue to wander off from the flock into the dangers of the wilderness. It may get away with this several times. Each time, thanks to the watchful eye of the Shepherd, the lamb is returned to the safety of the flock. However, if this continues to happen, the Shepherd will take disciplinary action solely for the sake of the lamb's well-being.
To make it remember that wandering away is the wrong thing to do, the Shepherd will break one of its legs. He will then bandage it up to let it heal properly. However, because it cannot walk from the broken leg, the Shepherd will keep it on His shoulders over the period of time it takes for the leg to heal. As this process is happening, He will hand feed it and care for it very tenderly. As is often the case when one individual tenderly nurtures another for any length of time, a special kind of bonding will occur. When the lamb's leg is finally healed its lesson is learned, and as a result, it will never stray away from the flock again. And ultimately, because of its bond to its Master, it will always trail very closely behind Him, following Him wherever He goes.
There is an object lesson to be learned here. My sister did a very good job of it when talking in our church this last Sunday about her trip. The same is with us and our Savior. His love is such a strong one; indeed the strongest kind of love, that He will go to great lengths just to earn our love. There are those who profess to have the faith of Christianity, but their words and actions say otherwise. Our heavenly Father wants our love, and our all.
It seems as if, should we profess our faith in Him, that we would give Him our all, putting Him first in every area of our lives; alas, this is not so with the majority of believers. Since He is One of a jealous nature, He will do what is necessary to keep those who wander, from wandering. If we let Him, He will break us down until we have nothing left to rely on but Him. Such is His jealousy, His love, His earnest desire to grow closer to us, and we to Him.
I pray for you all to not be broken before you are drawn to Him, because such a path is not an easy one. Rather, go to Him with all your earnest desires, fears, hopes, supplications, sins, and put Him first in your life; for when you do so, everything else in your life will fall into place (Romans 8:28).
My love to you all.
- Aimee
28 January 2010
27 January 2010
Lamb of God
“Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. - Revelations 1:4-6
John greeted the Church as many of the disciples did back in biblical times. He wished them grace and peace, all in the name of Jesus Christ. He also makes an interesting point. Because Jesus loved us (and still does of course), He sacrificed Himself for us. In that process, our sins were washed with His blood, which was clean.
Now, before I go any further, I want to take a look into why Jesus was called the Lamb of God (John 1:29 – “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
Often times when Christians hear the term “Lamb of God” we think of a cuddly baby lamb – a nice image, no? But in actuality, when John called Jesus the Lamb of God in front of the crowd, the image was not a pleasant one. Let’s look into how lambs were regarded during the Biblical times.
These days lambs are either pets or are used for food. But their purpose served differently back in the biblical times, both Old and New Testament. This next bit of info I got from a devotional called “Praying the Names of Jesus” (I recommend it by the way). I’ll just paraphrase what the author wrote about.
In the Old and New Testament, the sacrificial system provided a way for God’s people to approach Him. As an animal was offered, its blood was shed and its flesh was then burned at the altar. If an animal was completely consumed by the fire, the sacrifice was called a “holocaust.” If only a part of the animal was burned, it was considered as a “peace offering.” The peace offering was intended to restore communion with God.
The people who offered sacrifices understood that the animal being sacrificed was a symbolic representation of themselves and their desire to offer their own lives to God. The sacrificial system was actually a way that the Hebrew Scriptures represents God’s way of instructing us about what it means to approach a holy God.
The lamb was actually the principal animal of sacrifice. Two were offered each day – one in the morning and one in the evening. On the Sabbath, the offering was doubled. Lambs (or other animals) were also sacrificed on the first day of the new month. They were also sacrificed on such feasts as Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonements, and Tabernacles. They were also sacrificed in cleansing ceremonies after a woman gave birth and after the healing of a leper.
To the Jews, the lamb represented two things. Innocence and gentleness. The sacrifice of a lamb was meant to represent the purity of intention of the person or people who offered it. Therefore, they had to be without physical blemishes.
The phrase “Lamb of God” is only found in John’s Gospel, though Jesus is often referred to as “the Lamb” in the book of Revelation. It is there where he is portrayed as the Lamb who, though slain, yet lives and reigns victorious.
Let’s take a look at John. He was the son of a priest. That means that he knew and was familiar with the sacrificial system. He knew the horrors of the sacrifices – the blood, the bleating, the odor of burning animal flesh mixed with incense. So why then, with the images that “the lamb” conjured up in the people’s minds, did John use the phrase “Lamb of God?”
Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the ultimate sacrifice. He was innocent and without sin. He was everybody’s lamb. He died for us so that our sins would be permanently taken care of, and because He loves us.
Back to the verses in Revelations. Jesus, who was pure and loved us more than we could ever imagine, died for us. He washed our sins with His blood. After His sacrifice, we were then made kings and priests in the kingdom of God. We are all stewards, and have responsibility to be witnesses for Him through both our words and actions. This brings me to my next verse.
“For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a love of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” - Titus 1:7-9
We are called kings, bishops, and priests. We have a responsibility to be a light amongst those in the dark. It is true that because we are humans, we cannot be perfect. Nevertheless, we must strive for perfection. We must strive to be like Jesus. I love this set of verses, because it tells us what we should be doing.
I tend to not talk as much as other people, but rather observe my surroundings – both places and people. I’ve noticed that there are many people who seem to think that they are Christians. However, so often their words and actions show otherwise. I think that we, as Christians, are somewhat lost with what we should say, in how we should act, things that we tend to do on a daily basis, and decisions that we make.
As my dad once said, “How much are [you] willing to give up in order to have a better relationship with God?” He makes a very good point. Christians have allowed themselves to lower their standards for their life styles.
So often we allow profanities to escape from our lips. So often we will watch movies with profane words, sex scenes, or violence in them. So often we will listen to music by secular bands that may be good or not, depending on the lyrics. So often we will find ourselves in compromising situations due to the people that we hang out with.
R. A. Torrey once said that “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully committed to Him.”
I can’t say that I know how you should act. All I know is how the Bible tells us how to act. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe most Christians are fine with where they are at in their relationship with God. Maybe they don’t want to grow closer to Him. Maybe they don’t care how powerful their words and actions can be to both Christians and non-Christians.
All I know is that I want an amazing relationship with God. I am willing to give up things if that means growing closer to Him. As I have realized before though, I know that I would not be so willing to do something dangerous or heroic if He asked me to. I only hope that I will one day be in the place where I would be willing to give up my life for a complete stranger if it means that my sacrifice would show them God’s love.
John greeted the Church as many of the disciples did back in biblical times. He wished them grace and peace, all in the name of Jesus Christ. He also makes an interesting point. Because Jesus loved us (and still does of course), He sacrificed Himself for us. In that process, our sins were washed with His blood, which was clean.
Now, before I go any further, I want to take a look into why Jesus was called the Lamb of God (John 1:29 – “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
Often times when Christians hear the term “Lamb of God” we think of a cuddly baby lamb – a nice image, no? But in actuality, when John called Jesus the Lamb of God in front of the crowd, the image was not a pleasant one. Let’s look into how lambs were regarded during the Biblical times.
These days lambs are either pets or are used for food. But their purpose served differently back in the biblical times, both Old and New Testament. This next bit of info I got from a devotional called “Praying the Names of Jesus” (I recommend it by the way). I’ll just paraphrase what the author wrote about.
In the Old and New Testament, the sacrificial system provided a way for God’s people to approach Him. As an animal was offered, its blood was shed and its flesh was then burned at the altar. If an animal was completely consumed by the fire, the sacrifice was called a “holocaust.” If only a part of the animal was burned, it was considered as a “peace offering.” The peace offering was intended to restore communion with God.
The people who offered sacrifices understood that the animal being sacrificed was a symbolic representation of themselves and their desire to offer their own lives to God. The sacrificial system was actually a way that the Hebrew Scriptures represents God’s way of instructing us about what it means to approach a holy God.
The lamb was actually the principal animal of sacrifice. Two were offered each day – one in the morning and one in the evening. On the Sabbath, the offering was doubled. Lambs (or other animals) were also sacrificed on the first day of the new month. They were also sacrificed on such feasts as Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonements, and Tabernacles. They were also sacrificed in cleansing ceremonies after a woman gave birth and after the healing of a leper.
To the Jews, the lamb represented two things. Innocence and gentleness. The sacrifice of a lamb was meant to represent the purity of intention of the person or people who offered it. Therefore, they had to be without physical blemishes.
The phrase “Lamb of God” is only found in John’s Gospel, though Jesus is often referred to as “the Lamb” in the book of Revelation. It is there where he is portrayed as the Lamb who, though slain, yet lives and reigns victorious.
Let’s take a look at John. He was the son of a priest. That means that he knew and was familiar with the sacrificial system. He knew the horrors of the sacrifices – the blood, the bleating, the odor of burning animal flesh mixed with incense. So why then, with the images that “the lamb” conjured up in the people’s minds, did John use the phrase “Lamb of God?”
Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the ultimate sacrifice. He was innocent and without sin. He was everybody’s lamb. He died for us so that our sins would be permanently taken care of, and because He loves us.
Back to the verses in Revelations. Jesus, who was pure and loved us more than we could ever imagine, died for us. He washed our sins with His blood. After His sacrifice, we were then made kings and priests in the kingdom of God. We are all stewards, and have responsibility to be witnesses for Him through both our words and actions. This brings me to my next verse.
“For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a love of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” - Titus 1:7-9
We are called kings, bishops, and priests. We have a responsibility to be a light amongst those in the dark. It is true that because we are humans, we cannot be perfect. Nevertheless, we must strive for perfection. We must strive to be like Jesus. I love this set of verses, because it tells us what we should be doing.
I tend to not talk as much as other people, but rather observe my surroundings – both places and people. I’ve noticed that there are many people who seem to think that they are Christians. However, so often their words and actions show otherwise. I think that we, as Christians, are somewhat lost with what we should say, in how we should act, things that we tend to do on a daily basis, and decisions that we make.
As my dad once said, “How much are [you] willing to give up in order to have a better relationship with God?” He makes a very good point. Christians have allowed themselves to lower their standards for their life styles.
So often we allow profanities to escape from our lips. So often we will watch movies with profane words, sex scenes, or violence in them. So often we will listen to music by secular bands that may be good or not, depending on the lyrics. So often we will find ourselves in compromising situations due to the people that we hang out with.
R. A. Torrey once said that “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully committed to Him.”
I can’t say that I know how you should act. All I know is how the Bible tells us how to act. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe most Christians are fine with where they are at in their relationship with God. Maybe they don’t want to grow closer to Him. Maybe they don’t care how powerful their words and actions can be to both Christians and non-Christians.
All I know is that I want an amazing relationship with God. I am willing to give up things if that means growing closer to Him. As I have realized before though, I know that I would not be so willing to do something dangerous or heroic if He asked me to. I only hope that I will one day be in the place where I would be willing to give up my life for a complete stranger if it means that my sacrifice would show them God’s love.
Love Study
I really feel like writing something right now. Maybe it's just to pass the time, but I believe that another part is because, as a writer, I'm itching to write something. Anything. A piece that will inspire, create hope, give courage...things that will encourage people. Currently, however, I am totally blank to writing some thing that will do such acts.
Maybe I could write about my surroundings. I've always loved observing people. For when it comes to observing them, you can really get a sense of what they're like - especially since they don't know that you are watching. For when a person knows you're watching them, they tend to act differently, trying to impress or whatever, simply because another being is watching. I know this to be true because of my own observations, and I have done so myself in the past. However, I am learning that it does not matter what man thinks, but what ultimately matters is what God thinks.
This has been hard for me to learn at times. As humans, we are so eager to please others...especially the ones we like or care about. But one day we will have to come to the point and accept the fact that we are going to be asked to do things by God that may offend our friends or acquaintances...thus destroying the relationship. Not by our choice, but by the reaction of the other party involved. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, we will grieve for that lost relationship. But we should be satisfied with the fact that we did what our Father asked us, and that which we did was part of His plan for us, and some good will come out of it.
One thing that I have had to ask God to help me with is to love others. More specifically, the unlovable, and those I find I don't really want to love (in the flesh that is). But God has been showing me that it does NOT matter how I feel, but He will give me strength if I simply ask for it. Besides, as professed followers of Christ, we should follow His commandments, and He very clearly orders us to love others. No excuses.
Look at what our Father tells us in His word:
"'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.'" - Leviticus 19:18
"'But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.'" - Matthew 5:44
"'Honor you father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
- Matthew 19:19
"'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.'"
- Mark 12:30, 31
"'But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.'" - Luke 6:27
"'But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.'" - Luke 6:35
"'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.'"
- John 13:34, 35
"'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.'" - John 15:12
"'These things I command you, that you love one another.'" - John 15:17
"But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." - Ephesians 4:15, 16
"And walk in love, as Christ also has love us and given Himself for us..." - Ephesians 5:2
"Let brotherly love continue." - Hebrews 13:1
"And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God, must love his brother also." - 1 John 4:21
The point where I am at in my life right now, this is hard for me to do. Specifically with my sister and a guy friend that I had to recently take care of. Also with people involved in the youth group I was attending. I find that when I have to focus on my own life (when it comes to dealing with guys or anything that isn't spiritual) I lose my focus on God. This is why I am always constantly (first and foremost) focusing on God, and then on my fellow brothers and sisters - to encourage them in their relationship with God. I will focus on my life in order to take care of things that I know I need work on (i.e. patience, frustration, etc.). But if I take one moment to focus on something that isn't spiritual, then I lose my focus on God. And this is what happened to me recently.
I realized last night when I was reading in Romans that I just need to give everything up to God, and get back to the point where I was before I had to deal with people. And I definitely need His help...but I know I can do it. In my past I have denied Christ a lot...then always came back to Him. But I refuse to do that anymore. I am at the point in my life where my love for Him is real and I don't ever want to go back to the low points that I have been at before. I know that if it weren't for God, I wouldn't be here alive today, as a few months ago I was very, very close to slitting my own throat. And I give the credit to my relationship with God, that if I wouldn't have had Him, I wouldn't be here.
And so here I am. A Christian who, like all others, has my own faults. But the difference is, is that I'm going to - with God's help - strive for perfection. I refuse to go back to where I was in the past. I refuse to follow the crowd. I refuse to care more about others' opinions than God's opinion; for what He thinks is what will ultimately matter. I refuse to let my fellow brothers and sisters continue doing things that are wrong according to God's word. I will tell them, out of love, that they need to change; and I will be there as support for them. I will always strive to be an example of Christ. I will hold others accountable if they are willing to do the same for me. I will love others, not because I feel like it (for that will not always be the case), but because it's what our Father commands us to do.
I hope this has been encouraging for some of you. Stay strong.
Maybe I could write about my surroundings. I've always loved observing people. For when it comes to observing them, you can really get a sense of what they're like - especially since they don't know that you are watching. For when a person knows you're watching them, they tend to act differently, trying to impress or whatever, simply because another being is watching. I know this to be true because of my own observations, and I have done so myself in the past. However, I am learning that it does not matter what man thinks, but what ultimately matters is what God thinks.
This has been hard for me to learn at times. As humans, we are so eager to please others...especially the ones we like or care about. But one day we will have to come to the point and accept the fact that we are going to be asked to do things by God that may offend our friends or acquaintances...thus destroying the relationship. Not by our choice, but by the reaction of the other party involved. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, we will grieve for that lost relationship. But we should be satisfied with the fact that we did what our Father asked us, and that which we did was part of His plan for us, and some good will come out of it.
One thing that I have had to ask God to help me with is to love others. More specifically, the unlovable, and those I find I don't really want to love (in the flesh that is). But God has been showing me that it does NOT matter how I feel, but He will give me strength if I simply ask for it. Besides, as professed followers of Christ, we should follow His commandments, and He very clearly orders us to love others. No excuses.
Look at what our Father tells us in His word:
"'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.'" - Leviticus 19:18
"'But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.'" - Matthew 5:44
"'Honor you father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
- Matthew 19:19
"'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.'"
- Mark 12:30, 31
"'But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.'" - Luke 6:27
"'But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.'" - Luke 6:35
"'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.'"
- John 13:34, 35
"'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.'" - John 15:12
"'These things I command you, that you love one another.'" - John 15:17
"But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." - Ephesians 4:15, 16
"And walk in love, as Christ also has love us and given Himself for us..." - Ephesians 5:2
"Let brotherly love continue." - Hebrews 13:1
"And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God, must love his brother also." - 1 John 4:21
The point where I am at in my life right now, this is hard for me to do. Specifically with my sister and a guy friend that I had to recently take care of. Also with people involved in the youth group I was attending. I find that when I have to focus on my own life (when it comes to dealing with guys or anything that isn't spiritual) I lose my focus on God. This is why I am always constantly (first and foremost) focusing on God, and then on my fellow brothers and sisters - to encourage them in their relationship with God. I will focus on my life in order to take care of things that I know I need work on (i.e. patience, frustration, etc.). But if I take one moment to focus on something that isn't spiritual, then I lose my focus on God. And this is what happened to me recently.
I realized last night when I was reading in Romans that I just need to give everything up to God, and get back to the point where I was before I had to deal with people. And I definitely need His help...but I know I can do it. In my past I have denied Christ a lot...then always came back to Him. But I refuse to do that anymore. I am at the point in my life where my love for Him is real and I don't ever want to go back to the low points that I have been at before. I know that if it weren't for God, I wouldn't be here alive today, as a few months ago I was very, very close to slitting my own throat. And I give the credit to my relationship with God, that if I wouldn't have had Him, I wouldn't be here.
And so here I am. A Christian who, like all others, has my own faults. But the difference is, is that I'm going to - with God's help - strive for perfection. I refuse to go back to where I was in the past. I refuse to follow the crowd. I refuse to care more about others' opinions than God's opinion; for what He thinks is what will ultimately matter. I refuse to let my fellow brothers and sisters continue doing things that are wrong according to God's word. I will tell them, out of love, that they need to change; and I will be there as support for them. I will always strive to be an example of Christ. I will hold others accountable if they are willing to do the same for me. I will love others, not because I feel like it (for that will not always be the case), but because it's what our Father commands us to do.
I hope this has been encouraging for some of you. Stay strong.
The Shepherd
Something itched in his throat. As he opened his mouth, a blood curling scream came hurling out. “WHY?!” His cry echoed in the mountains. All that he had ever known, all that he had ever seen, all that he had ever loved had been stripped away from him; he was left with nothing, accompanied by no one, and the god that he had once served had left him.
He walked along the trodden mountainous pathway, avoiding falling off the edge from the anorexic narrowness of the trail. With everything he had gone though, he did not care if he fell or not. How could everything be stripped away from him like this? He had done his duty to his family, to his country, to his leader, to his god. And now all things of the past – memories, people, belongings – everything was blown away with just a slight breeze. Gone.
His thoughts betrayed him. He thought of the first moment he laid eyes on his future wife, the day his children were born, the time when he was honoured before the whole clan for his many heroic acts. Life, now barren like the earth that he walked on, did not seem worth living anymore. There was no one to go to, no one to give him hope. Not even Makiel was there for him.
Makiel. The one and only god he had served since he was a child, a mere boy. Makiel, for all of his efforts, endless pleadings, continuous sacrifices, had never spoken to him, never exclaimed his love for him, never even gave him anything. His wife, his child, his honours – all were the works of fate. Makiel was supposed to be loving, caring, a shepherd to those who served him. Instead, he remained silent, a mute to those who so longingly cared for his attentions.
It was silent. Dead like a tree in the winter. The path was a lonely one, even more so with only his thoughts accompanying him. He shuffled along, dragging his feet, with no destination in mind. The scenery of the foot path was as interesting as anything else, so as he walked, he continued to look down.
A voice startled him out of his mindlessness. He looked around. A Shepherd was standing in a valley along the trail. His mouth didn’t move. It was almost as if the man had spoken to him…in his head. Impossible. Only a god could do that, and no god would belittle himself to take the lowly form of a human. He shook his head and continued walking.
Look around. This is my creation. I created it for you. I love you. I created you. I will never leave you. The words startled him. How could a mere man create him? Much less everything around him. He tried speaking back. You? He scoffed. Why should I believe you? If you’re so wonderful, and so loving, and had the ability to create things, then WHY did you take away everything I’ve ever known? He screamed it.
Then he dared to look the man in the eyes. Those eyes. They were the most intense green. It didn’t make sense. No one had green eyes. He dared to look into them longer, deeper. They showed love. They showed pain. They showed hurt. They showed the longing for a relationship unknown to mankind. How could he read this man so easily? Who are you? He wondered.
I Am. The voice came to him. I am everything. I am the sun shining down on you. I am the soft grass beneath your feet. I am the love you felt for your children on the day they were born. I am the pain you felt when you lost everything. I am. He was amazed. But that question was still nagging him. Why then, did you take everything away? He asked with his teeth clenched.
I care for you. I care for all of my creation. When you served the god Makiel with your whole being and received nothing in return, my heart broke for you. Not because of his silence, but because you were serving a god that is dead. A god that has no power, no emotions, nothing. In order to bring you to me, I needed to strip away everything you’ve ever known. So that in your pain, your anger, your hurt, your anguish, you might come to me. I created you and I love you. Serve me, and I will remain with you until the end. Love me and I will love you until the end. Speak to me, become closer to me, and we will have a relationship that no one has ever seen.
The voice ceased in speech. He mulled over what he had just heard. Was it possible? Could such things really be possible? He paused. He had nothing more to lose, save his own life. It wouldn’t hurt to take this man up on his offer. I accept. I will love you. I will serve you. I will commune with you.
It came to him all of a sudden. A wave of love so strong, that he almost fell to the ground. He began weeping. Strong pain washed over him. He bent over from the strength of it. A wave of hurt came. He wept uncontrollably. Great joy came next. He stood and stretched his hands, laughing loudly. Then the love came again, in a much stronger dose. He was overwhelmed. He looked for the Shepherd to thank him. He was gone. It couldn’t have been…Yeshua? The God his neighbors had claimed for years was the one and only real God? Who herded his flock as a Shepherd would his sheep. He sharply took in his breath. Yeshua.
He began walking along the pathway again. He would do so until he received instruction. Everything seemed so much brighter. The sun actually felt warm, the grass looked vibrantly green, the noises from the animals so much more distinct. Love others as I have loved you. He looked around. Still no one. I will. He continued walking along the trail. As he came around the bend, he saw a small, abandoned child curled up, lying on the side of the road. He bent down, took him in his arms, held him tight, and whispered, “I love you.”
He walked along the trodden mountainous pathway, avoiding falling off the edge from the anorexic narrowness of the trail. With everything he had gone though, he did not care if he fell or not. How could everything be stripped away from him like this? He had done his duty to his family, to his country, to his leader, to his god. And now all things of the past – memories, people, belongings – everything was blown away with just a slight breeze. Gone.
His thoughts betrayed him. He thought of the first moment he laid eyes on his future wife, the day his children were born, the time when he was honoured before the whole clan for his many heroic acts. Life, now barren like the earth that he walked on, did not seem worth living anymore. There was no one to go to, no one to give him hope. Not even Makiel was there for him.
Makiel. The one and only god he had served since he was a child, a mere boy. Makiel, for all of his efforts, endless pleadings, continuous sacrifices, had never spoken to him, never exclaimed his love for him, never even gave him anything. His wife, his child, his honours – all were the works of fate. Makiel was supposed to be loving, caring, a shepherd to those who served him. Instead, he remained silent, a mute to those who so longingly cared for his attentions.
It was silent. Dead like a tree in the winter. The path was a lonely one, even more so with only his thoughts accompanying him. He shuffled along, dragging his feet, with no destination in mind. The scenery of the foot path was as interesting as anything else, so as he walked, he continued to look down.
A voice startled him out of his mindlessness. He looked around. A Shepherd was standing in a valley along the trail. His mouth didn’t move. It was almost as if the man had spoken to him…in his head. Impossible. Only a god could do that, and no god would belittle himself to take the lowly form of a human. He shook his head and continued walking.
Look around. This is my creation. I created it for you. I love you. I created you. I will never leave you. The words startled him. How could a mere man create him? Much less everything around him. He tried speaking back. You? He scoffed. Why should I believe you? If you’re so wonderful, and so loving, and had the ability to create things, then WHY did you take away everything I’ve ever known? He screamed it.
Then he dared to look the man in the eyes. Those eyes. They were the most intense green. It didn’t make sense. No one had green eyes. He dared to look into them longer, deeper. They showed love. They showed pain. They showed hurt. They showed the longing for a relationship unknown to mankind. How could he read this man so easily? Who are you? He wondered.
I Am. The voice came to him. I am everything. I am the sun shining down on you. I am the soft grass beneath your feet. I am the love you felt for your children on the day they were born. I am the pain you felt when you lost everything. I am. He was amazed. But that question was still nagging him. Why then, did you take everything away? He asked with his teeth clenched.
I care for you. I care for all of my creation. When you served the god Makiel with your whole being and received nothing in return, my heart broke for you. Not because of his silence, but because you were serving a god that is dead. A god that has no power, no emotions, nothing. In order to bring you to me, I needed to strip away everything you’ve ever known. So that in your pain, your anger, your hurt, your anguish, you might come to me. I created you and I love you. Serve me, and I will remain with you until the end. Love me and I will love you until the end. Speak to me, become closer to me, and we will have a relationship that no one has ever seen.
The voice ceased in speech. He mulled over what he had just heard. Was it possible? Could such things really be possible? He paused. He had nothing more to lose, save his own life. It wouldn’t hurt to take this man up on his offer. I accept. I will love you. I will serve you. I will commune with you.
It came to him all of a sudden. A wave of love so strong, that he almost fell to the ground. He began weeping. Strong pain washed over him. He bent over from the strength of it. A wave of hurt came. He wept uncontrollably. Great joy came next. He stood and stretched his hands, laughing loudly. Then the love came again, in a much stronger dose. He was overwhelmed. He looked for the Shepherd to thank him. He was gone. It couldn’t have been…Yeshua? The God his neighbors had claimed for years was the one and only real God? Who herded his flock as a Shepherd would his sheep. He sharply took in his breath. Yeshua.
He began walking along the pathway again. He would do so until he received instruction. Everything seemed so much brighter. The sun actually felt warm, the grass looked vibrantly green, the noises from the animals so much more distinct. Love others as I have loved you. He looked around. Still no one. I will. He continued walking along the trail. As he came around the bend, he saw a small, abandoned child curled up, lying on the side of the road. He bent down, took him in his arms, held him tight, and whispered, “I love you.”
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