A look at the big picture-
From Steve:
If a person holds to the conservative biblical reckoning that the creation occurred some 7,000 years ago, then the average person throughout history would have personally experienced and/or participated in less than 1% of God’s Plan. If a person holds to a more "scientific" reckoning of billions of years, then the typical human experience and participation would be less than a blip.
What this means is, a person can experience and/or participate in anywhere from a blip to a maximum of 1% of God’s Plan and that’s it.
If we compare this to a 70 year lifespan, it means we have a maximum experience and participation of an 8 month old baby. Not much of an opportunity to gain any meaningful perspective, is there?
And yet, even with this infantile perspective, it’s not uncommon for us to assert, expound, postulate, require and predict all kinds of things about what God has done, is doing and will do. This, of course, usually comes from what we conclude from our study of scripture, which formulates our opinions and belief system from which we also measure everything else related to God. But, what we rarely consider is that what we extract, conclude and formulate from our study is also a product of that same infantile perspective. Hmmm. . .
If we measure this dynamic and attitude against everyday life, we start to get God’s point. After all, who seeks the perspective of an 8 month old when dealing with the issues of a 70 year life?
This perspective gives a whole new meaning to the answer Jesus gave to His disciples about who is the greatest in His Kingdom. His answer to them (and to us) was that they needed to "make an about-face" in their attitudes and "transition to becoming like and as a young child." Otherwise, they (and we) couldn’t "come into the important purpose of the Kingdom of Heaven."
So what does a young child do? They pursue, cling to and wholly depend on their parents alone. And so it should be with all of us 8 month olds!
Jesus demonstrated the reality of a "young child’s" capacity to understand the things and Plan of God through His famous, and oft times taught, Sower of the Seed parable in Mark Chapter 4. After telling His story, His followers and disciples pursued Jesus to find out what He meant by the parable. Before telling them, He first explained what happens to those who pursue Him vs. those who don’t. He, then, asked the revealing question, ". . .Do you not understand by observation this parable, this comparison? How, then, in what manner will you understand by experience the totality of each and every parable or comparison through each individual part that applies?" (Mark 4:13)
The answer is we can’t on our own. Even the simple stories are too complex for us to understand as this parable demonstrates. Our infantile perspective just doesn’t have the capacity or breadth of knowledge, experience and understanding to know "by experience. . .the totality of each and every. . .part that applies."
But, this lack of capacity doesn’t disqualify us IF we will pursue Jesus for His message and meaning about what He’s saying and doing. Instead, our pursuit demonstrates that we’ve made the about-face and transitioned to become like a young child to whom Jesus then, ". . .offers to give and put in place the mystery, the hidden things of the Kingdom of God, which can only be known by revelation. . ."
By contrast, to those who’ve decided on their own what His message and meaning is, He says, ". . .they are without [revelation] and on the outside, with everything being and happening for them in the realm of parables and comparisons; so while looking at and being observant to see something physical with spiritual results, they may see something physical with spiritual results but not perceive or attend to it with inward spiritual perception. And, while listening and hearing, they may listen and hear but not put together the facts into a comprehensive whole or arrive at a final understanding. . ." (Mark 4:10-12)
They simply cannot get it because everything God does remains a parable to them even though they may be "observant to see." Their insistence to hold on to their own assessment and conclusions about what Jesus is saying and doing keeps them on the "outside" where the Kingdom remains to them a "mystery" even though they may be "listening and hearing."
So, what does all of this have to do with the emails below?
Well, we’re not sitting along the shore listening to and hearing Jesus tell a story about how to maximize agricultural productivity. We’re reading a couple of emails on our smartphones, iPads or computers and listening to and hearing Jesus tell a "parable" about what He’s doing with my friend and the circumstances facing President Trump. And, the moment we read this "parable" we become like those who were listening to and hearing Jesus tell His parable along the shore. We are challenged with the same question they were challenged with; namely, will we decide on our own the message and meaning of the "parable" or will we pursue Jesus for His message and meaning?
This is exactly what Jesus is inviting us to do. We may not have the capacity as 8 month olds in God’s Plan to understand or explain all that He is doing with my friend and President Trump but what we can do is to perform a role. And, Jesus is mobilizing His people to become more involved in performing their roles in what He’s doing. This exercise is an example. He’s not asking us to understand what He’s doing, He’s inviting us to fulfill our role by pursuing Him for our prayer assignment. This is where it all begins. And if we will accept the invitation, He will give and put in place the mystery of His Kingdom, which can only be known by revelation, that will make us full and active participants in bringing about the Will and Reign of God in our time.
Sounds like a perspective any 8 month old might want to consider.