Unbearably Great
"...how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Heb. 2:3)
Great is this salvation. It is not the saved who are great. It is not we but salvation which is great. Christ is great. Nowadays, the affliction of the churches and congregations is that we lay emphasis on ourselves, the saved, and not on God. This is not how it should be. If we realize how great salvation is, we will realize also how small we are. But if the saved consider themselves great, then salvation becomes small.
Great is this salvation. Peter says that the angels long to examine this mystery. A poor woman once sent the following message to us: "Come now and bring the Word with you! I can't see well, I can't read, I'm disabled -- why aren't you coming? My mouth waters for the Word." Salvation was considered so great among the first Christians that even the mouths of the angels watered for it!
Great is this salvation. It is unbearably great. But as long as we are able to bear it, this salvation is not so great. And it is not interesting at all. But it will become grievous for the world when we can bear it no longer. Woe unto us! For we are bearing salvation, rather than salvation bearing us. Paul had much to bear: his brethren slandered and denied and forsook him. But salvation was so great to him that he didn't break down. However, he said: "Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." Why do I consider my salvation so cheaply when Jesus had to die and bear damnation for it?
Great is this salvation. Francis Assisi, our beloved brother, left his splendid palace and great inheritance to become a monk. His mother, a believing woman, said to him, "Son, don't do this. Do not leave everything." But Francis said, "Mother, I would like to stay but the ocean is calling me." The ocean of love is calling us. Awakening happens when people cannot withstand the calling of the ocean and cannot bear so great a salvation.
It is not the burden of the world that God's people cannot bear. It is the mercy of God. We do not break because we are slandered and vilified and cast out for the sake of His name. Our hearts shouldn't break because of these things. If they do, our salvation is worth little. Our hearts should break because our salvation is so great that we can't bear it and must share it with others.
[FV, HFTR, (c)2003]
Great is this salvation. It is not the saved who are great. It is not we but salvation which is great. Christ is great. Nowadays, the affliction of the churches and congregations is that we lay emphasis on ourselves, the saved, and not on God. This is not how it should be. If we realize how great salvation is, we will realize also how small we are. But if the saved consider themselves great, then salvation becomes small.
Great is this salvation. Peter says that the angels long to examine this mystery. A poor woman once sent the following message to us: "Come now and bring the Word with you! I can't see well, I can't read, I'm disabled -- why aren't you coming? My mouth waters for the Word." Salvation was considered so great among the first Christians that even the mouths of the angels watered for it!
Great is this salvation. It is unbearably great. But as long as we are able to bear it, this salvation is not so great. And it is not interesting at all. But it will become grievous for the world when we can bear it no longer. Woe unto us! For we are bearing salvation, rather than salvation bearing us. Paul had much to bear: his brethren slandered and denied and forsook him. But salvation was so great to him that he didn't break down. However, he said: "Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." Why do I consider my salvation so cheaply when Jesus had to die and bear damnation for it?
Great is this salvation. Francis Assisi, our beloved brother, left his splendid palace and great inheritance to become a monk. His mother, a believing woman, said to him, "Son, don't do this. Do not leave everything." But Francis said, "Mother, I would like to stay but the ocean is calling me." The ocean of love is calling us. Awakening happens when people cannot withstand the calling of the ocean and cannot bear so great a salvation.
It is not the burden of the world that God's people cannot bear. It is the mercy of God. We do not break because we are slandered and vilified and cast out for the sake of His name. Our hearts shouldn't break because of these things. If they do, our salvation is worth little. Our hearts should break because our salvation is so great that we can't bear it and must share it with others.
[FV, HFTR, (c)2003]
posted by CS at 11:27 PM
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