Early this morning I had to pull the battery
out of our smoke detector in order to stop it from “chirping”. The chirping was
to warn me that something was wrong. All it took was popping out the battery to
silence the warning, and quiet was restored.
After the deed was done, I realized that
this is the way some people handle the things they do not like to hear. If they
can remove a person from a position of influence or authority over their lives,
they can silence the warnings and admonitions so that a sense of quiet is
restored.
This is, in fact, what happened to the
forerunner of the Christ, John the Baptist. A woman did not like the way John
relentlessly addressed the sinful relationship between her and her husband, and
so she strategically orchestrated his execution.
This is also what happened to the Christ.
The religious leaders were incensed that Jesus would confront them with their
sin, while welcoming forgiven prostitutes, tax collectors, and drunks, into the
kingdom of heaven. Their solution? Execute him so that he would be quiet; and
use crucifixion as the means of execution so that the publicity and shame of
his death would silence his disciples.
There was another woman whom Jesus personally
confronted with her five failed marriages, and her current sin of adultery. Her
response was to humbly welcome him as a prophet, and then to open her heart to
him as the Messiah she was waiting for. Instead of conspiring to get rid of him
to silence his conviction of her sin, she went to her village and invited everyone
to come and meet Jesus. After a couple of days of listening to his teachings,
they thanked God for what this woman had shared with them.
And then there were those disciples who saw Jesus
die the shameful suffering of crucifixion. They witnessed Jesus’ resurrection
from the dead. They witnessed Jesus ascending back into heaven where he is now
seated at the right hand of his Father. And they became the powerful witnesses
of the life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorious salvation of Jesus
the Christ.
Now, to clarify, I am putting a fresh
battery in my smoke detector because, while I have silenced the warning that
the battery was running low, leaving it without a battery would mean I have
also silenced its ability to warn me of fire and smoke danger. I want the
warning of fire and smoke danger because I would like to continue enjoying my
home, and all the people who share it with us.
At the same time, I am filling my heart with
time spent with my heavenly Father in his word and prayer so that, while I must
welcome his warnings as a child respecting his Father’s loving discipline, I
get to hear the words of God calling me into the fullness of joy that the necessary
warnings are faithfully guarding.
I encourage us all to be sure we are up-to-date
in receiving whatever ministry God is sending into our lives to warn us of
danger, and invite us into his joy. Let us also make sure we are not shutting
out his servants who remind us of these things our heavenly Father is doing.
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
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