Jacob was not just a physical cripple but also an emotional cripple.
Physically every step he took would have been filled with pain, a reminder that He needs God for every step He takes.
Arguably the loss of his favourite son thinking him to be dead would be the equivalent of crippling the soul. Abraham had to give his son as a living sacrifice to God to offer him up to die, but Jacob lost his son to what he would interpret as a random accident.
How do you go on living when your very heart has been taken out of you?
With the same realisation that he needed God for every step of the way. He lived most of his old age worshipping the God who he thought allowed the death of his son.
It is a very odd thing that God should wound his most faithful followers. It seems almost contradictory to a good God and father why would a father do such damage to the lives of those who love Him most? Job's case is the worst, Abraham's case, Daniel's case, Jesus own case and the apostles also conform to the same pattern. The path that leads to the closest following of God's footsteps are also the steps marked by pronounced suffering. All these men when asked - why do you still follow God when He allows and has marked such tragedy in your path? Would doubtless answer - I follow God because He is God! Who else is worth following? Who else has the words of eternal life and who else is the messiah, the saviour? We follow God not for what we can get out of Him, no, we follow Him because He is worth following.
The following reduces us, it does not increase our greatness. It humbles us to nothing, that all we hold on to is the wonder of that intimate walk, that face to face talk with the Glory of God which sees us through all forms of adverse suffering, even apostolic suffering.
No comments:
Post a Comment