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Today's Scripture
4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, 5 “Tell the people of Israel,
‘Look, your King is coming to you.
6He is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.’”
Matthew 21.4-5, NLT
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names...
Philippians 2.7-9, NLT
Wisdom Words
One lesson of Holy Week, as well as of the Gospel, is to follow Christ Jesus does not mean that you will be seen to have it all together before others.
A spiritual person is known, partly, in his or her not placing priority on fitting in, in being esteemed well-balanced in thought or emotion by popular estimation ~ even "church" estimation. And, in these days, while we stress the need for communal unity, such cannot be maintained by a spiritual person apart from a robust, healthy individualism ~ or the "system" will often swallow you and disinherit you of personal giftedness and value. Loyalty to others does not mean a wimpy bowing to their values or desires.
The witness of great Christians throughout the ages seems clearly to show that it will, at times, be brothers and sisters in Christ who will think you do not have it together well enough to be "fit" and of "adequate service." Many persons, though they claim a Christ judged a maladjusted man, have little appreciation of the role of inner brokenness in a deeply Christ-like Life.
Possibly, today, we live in a time that to follow Christ and be at peace and together-with predominant trends of professing Christianity around is impossible. Possibly, such has always been the case.
However, you choose. Do you want to have it together, or are you willing to suffer brokenness, aloneness, confusion, being misunderstood, and a sense of alienation from dominant trends and fellow professing believers to live the Life of the Spirit?
Of course, this is not a license to be a mindless rebel. That is foolishness, not wisdom. Still, we need more wise rebels, persons in mind and life offering an option for those seeking that something More popularly not being offered to persons truly seeking a deeper, spiritual Life in God.
Will you be one of the gladly broken ones? Which is to say, "Will you pray truly to follow Christ, and Him alone?"
Wisdom Story
Once upon a time, in the heart of an ancient Kingdom, there was a beautiful garden. There, in the cool of the day, the Master of the garden would walk. Of all the plants of the garden, the most beautiful, most beloved was gracious and noble bamboo.
Year after year, bamboo grew yet more noble and gracious, aware of his Master’s love and watchful delight, but modest and gentle. And often when the wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would dance and play, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon, leading the Great Dance of the garden. This delighted the Master’s heart.
One day, the Master drew near to contemplate his Bamboo with eyes of curious expectancy. Bamboo, in a passion of adoration, bowed his great head to the ground in loving greeting.
The Master spoke: "Bamboo, Bamboo, I would use you."
Bamboo flung his head to the sky in delight. The day of days had come, the day for which he had been made, the day to which he had been growing hour by hour, the day in which he would find his completion and his destiny.
His voice came low: "Master, I’m ready. Use me as you wish."
"Bamboo," ~ the Master’s voice was grave ~ "I would have to take you and cut you down!"
A trembling shook Bamboo. "Cut me down? I whom you, Master, made the most beautiful in all your Garden? Ah, not that! Not that! Use me for your joy, use me for your glory, but please do not cut me down!"
"Beloved Bamboo," ~ the Master’s voice graver still ~ "If I don't cut you down, I can't use you."
The garden grew still. Wind held her breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud, glorious head. There was a whisper: "Master, if you can't use me other than to cut me down, do your will and cut."
"Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you, also," spoke the Master.
"Master, cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust. But would you have to take from me my leaves and branches, too?"
"Bamboo, if I don't cut them away, I can't use you."
The Sun hid his face. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low, "Master, cut away."
"Bamboo, Bamboo," spoke the Master, "I would split you in two and cut out your heart, for if I cut not so, I can't use you."
Then Bamboo bowed to the ground, speaking, "Master, Master, then, cut and split."
So did the Master of the garden take Bamboo
and cut him down,
and hack off his branches,
and strip off his leaves,
and split him in two,
and cut out his heart.
And lifting him gently, the Master carried Bamboo to a spring of fresh, sparkling water in the midst of his dry fields. Then, putting one end of broken Bamboo in the spring and the other end into the water channel in the field, the Master gently laid down Bamboo. And the spring sang "Welcome!," and the clear sparkling waters raced joyfully down the channel of Bamboo’s torn body into the fields. Then, the rice was planted, and the days went by, and the shoots grew, and the harvest came.
In that day, Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty in the garden, was yet more glorious in brokenness and humility. For in his beauty, he was life abundant; in his brokenness, he was a channel of abundant blessing to his Master’s world.
Reflection
Do you see yourself in the story about Bamboo? Explain.
Do you see the life of Christ in the story of Bamboo? Explain.
In what ways has God allowed you to be broken, or humbled, so that you have become a greater blessing?
In what way might you be being more broken now so to become less self-conscious and more other-conscious?
How might you help someone you know whom Divine Providence is humbling to make him or her more like Christ?
Can religious groups, and other spiritual groups, go through a spiritual brokenness for a divine purpose? Is such sometimes necessary? What forms might the humbling take? Explain.
What lessons might this Holy Week have for you about areas that the Holy Spirit is leading you to grow spiritually? In service to others? In private devotion?
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For replies and biographical information, and submission to "The Light Shines" daily devotionals ~ a ministry of Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL, see next page:
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