That's Not Right... Is It?

I had a sudden thought yesterday as I began reading in Colossians chapter one.  Verses 14 and 15 tell us that “His Son (Jesus) paid the price to free us, which means that our sins are forgiven.  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” (God’s Word ©)  It was the visualization of Jesus being “the image of God” that got me thinking.  Hebrews 1:3 says that He is “the express image of His essence.” (MKJV)  As I meditated on this truth that is repeated in other verses throughout the New Testament, it dawned on me that everything Jesus did was a direct representation of His Father’s nature, ability, love and will.

So with that in mind I wrote a memo in my notes to remind me to begin reading in the Gospels from this point of view.  Today as I pursued that direction, I got as far as verse six in the book of Matthew and could not go on!  I had considered skipping the ancestry list and get right into the meat of the Gospel (so I thought) but had second thoughts and started reading from verse one to see who begot who!

As a continuing part of the long lists of names, verse six reads, “Jesse the father of King David.  David and Uriah’s wife Bathsheba were the father and mother of Solomon.” (God’s Word ©)  When I read this I stopped and began to ponder the question of why God would use individuals who started out their relationship in adultery to be parents of the wisest king in Israel’s history as well as being part of the line through which our Messiah would be born.  It definitely is not the way that most people I know would have planned it!

But then my entire being was flooded with a vivid picture of the exceeding love and grace of our heavenly Father, or I as have begun to call Him, “Papa God!”  The Apostle Paul talks of this characteristic of God in Ephesians 3:19 when he prays that we would intimately “know Christ’s (who is the express image of the Father’s essence) love, which goes far beyond any knowledge.” (God’s Word ©)

God did it this way to demonstrate His nature, will and desire for us as we walk through our daily lives.  His way is for us to go “far beyond” what our intellect may try and dictate to us in loving and extending grace to others.  It may seem absurd to us and stretch us way further than we are comfortable to go, but it is quite normal to Him!  I recently read that “The only answer that I can come up with is that I must look and act like the One I am following until it becomes normal.”* In other words, practice makes perfect!

So what do you think?  Is this the type of grace and love that you normally walk in when those around you do things that are considered sinful and wrong?  Is it the way you react toward people who may do things different than you would do them?  I have felt the sting of this and I would not want anyone else to ever have to go through what I did!

Consider hanging out with Jesus this weekend.  Since His actions were the express image of Papa God’s nature and will, see what He did and follow suit!  Have a great weekend, stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting today?”

 

*“Signs, Wonder’s and a Baptist Preacher” © 2013 by Chad Norris. page 131