When God subjected himself

“And he [Jesus] went down with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them.” Luke 2:51

One of the hardest things for human beings to do is to learn to obey. I won’t go into the theological reasons why this is so. In any case, we have to admit we struggle not to resent subjecting ourselves to someone else’s will. That’s a good thing, too, most of the time. Following just anybody’s directives without thought to his or her intentions can be dangerous. Even so, it’s good for our well-being that the majority of us U.S. citizens obey the basic laws of this land. At the least, it keeps us from killing each other off.

Still I for one am a little squirmy when I read in Deuteronomy God commanding the people to obey and serve him, not once, but 20-plus times. Why does God make such a big deal out of serving him? Well, for one, he, not we, is the All-wise Creator who has made us for his purest love. He designed the world to work in harmony when we love and serve him. Period.

Yet there is another big reason for the command to obey. Humble to the utmost, God has subjected himself to us. This truth was highlighted in last Sunday's service as we celebrated the feast day of The Holy Family. The key verse from the Gospel reading is quoted at the top of this post.

Jesus was twelve. He scared his mother and step-father half to death wandering off by himself to the temple in Jerusalem to discuss theology with Jewish scholars. When Mary and Joseph finally find him, it would have been natural for a 12 year old boy to smart off when chastised for worrying them. “Hey, I’m an above-average kid, I’m impressing the big guys. Why do I need to listen to you anymore?” No, Jesus not only returned with them to back-water Nazareth, he, the Creator of all the earth, lived under their guidance until he came of age.

So, as an adult, Jesus could say of himself without any false tone, “For the Son of Man came not to serve, but to serve and give his life a ransom for many.” If he had not served us with his very body and blood, where would be the source of our salvation?

So, what reaction would God desire to such great love? Our reciprocity.

Just Get On With It

Nobel Prize winner Kenzaburo Oe wrote a set of essays in 1999 entitled, "A Healing Family," about life with his handicapped son, Hikari, aged 30 at the time of the writing. Oe writes how upon finding himself with many handicaps that limit and tax him, Hikari nevertheless continues to focus on his life habit of music composition. Hikari's dad says of his basic tenacity in the face of his disabilities:

I received a letter from him: "It's no good...I should never have lived to be twenty." But, though he may have felt that way at times, he has never acted on those feelings, never just given up and stayed all day in bed. And this surely--the fact that he actually gets up every morning looking forward to seeing his friends at the training center, that he takes a certain pleasure in the contents of his lunch box, that he comes home and listens to records or throws himself into his composing--all this is evidence of his own basic resolution to "just get on with it." And it is true that this resolution has been one of the cornerstones of our family life.

Hikari's resolve reminds me of one woman's biography found in the Bible. Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ruth, who eventually became King David's great-grandmother, was devastated over her husband and two sons' deaths while refugees in Moab. One of her dead sons had been Ruth's husband. When Naomi returned to Israel with Ruth, the townspeople could hardly believe it was she. "Is this Naomi?" (naomi in Hebrew means pleasant.) She retorted, "Don't call me Pleasant, call me Mara (or bitter)." And yet, when she saw Ruth's resolve to find resources for food and permanent dwelling, Naomi herself began to hope in their future. She encouraged and coached Ruth through the process of courting Boaz, until the day came when Naomi held her grandson in her lap. The townswomen said to her,"Boaz will renew your life and sustain you in your old age." She did not disagree this time. In spite of horrendous setbacks Naomi and Ruth got on with what life they had been given, eventually reaping a benefit.

Arthur Greeve, C. S. wrote his lifelong friend, C. S. Lewis, that he was anxious about the slow progress of his career. Lewis replied, "It is not your business to succeed, but to do right: when you have done so, the rest lies with God."

May this beginning of a new decade be one in which no matter what our limitations, setbacks, fears, and discouragements, we will take a deep breath, say a prayer, and just get on with it.

The rest lies with God.

Postscript: You can listen to samples of Hikari Oe's compositions on Amazon.com.