Day 41 - Pride

Ooops... Late because I've been planning next month's Impact with John and Wayne plus our ever dedicated youth! Apologies folks. Let's make it snappy so I can get some sleep. Onto business then,

Today’s readings

Exodus 6:13-8:32
Matthew 26:47-68
Psalm 19:7-14


I love Old Testament names!! Sorry, just a small point but Hanoch and Nepheg might now be going on the future child name list! So the point of this first bit is really just to show Moses' connection with Joseph and thus; Jacob, Issac and Abraham. So God's promise keeps on going through all these generations. Patience folks! The Bible never stops telling us to have some!

So we have Moses trying to get through to Pharoah and I've never noticed Pharoah's response. He says no obviously but his reasoning is because his sorceror's and magicians can do the same sort of tricks. Now I think this is important for a few reasons. Firstly, I think it's naieve of us as Christians to dismiss anything else supernatural as being fake. But we also have to see that if we're trying to do things that would normally come from God on our own power then they'll be getting in the way of us seeing God's truth. In a way this could also apply to crazy science like human cloning. But ethics is a complicated thing and we're late at night! I do think it's worth noting though that Pharoah convinces himself that he is right because he can dismiss God's actions, rather than fixing his people's problem. You would think he's want his magicians to turn the blood back to water rather than add to the problem! If we're ignoring God's message to us because we think we can prove it wrong or not special then we're going to miss our chance at doing God's will and getting the path that is the easiest option because God won't give up but our actions will make it harder.

Eventually even his magicians can't compete and realise it's God doing this. I like to think that their trickery on the first three miracles could quite easily be magic circle stuff too but turning dust into living things requires something a little more powerful!  And even after Pharoah sees God's release he convinces himself that he is in the right. Pharoah would have been taught from an early age that the position of Pharoah made him a god and what pride this man has to ignore the suffering and clear solution that he has all for the sake of keeping his own status intact and exercising power over a slave nation. Pride's such a tricky thing as we should be proud in what God does and also what he enables us to do; but Jesus called us to be meek and humble. Speak out when you see injustice, but don't let your own convictions contribute towards it.

Into the New Testament we stomp and we're continuing Jesus' last days on Earth. I love how Jesus reacts to His arrest with calm but also with such wisdom and authority. I don't know if any of you have had run ins with the police and mine are very limited. But the one time I have had a police man asking me questions, I hasten to add it was a witness statement, I felt nervous and shaky and completely unsure of myself. If instead of one guy sitting me in his car (front seat...) and asking me some simple questions had actually been a half dozen police officers in riot gear trying to forcefully carry me off I doubt I'd have the composure to not only stop the violence but also point out the cowardly way they had planned to arrest me. Jesus though knows God and knows His scripture and so is armed and ready to respond to these men with a grace that blows my mind.

Jesus' trial is another example of his presence being so powerful. We talk about having the presence of Christ in us but do we really realise what authority and grace that potentially gives us? Here is a man who can stay silent in a court that is completely against Him and yet no single charge will stick to Him! He realises He needs to be arrested and that the prophecies have to be fulfilled so it is actually Jesus Himself who provides them with the reason they need to call for His execution. Insanity? Or just mind blowing love and sacrifice. And just imagine for a moment how Jesus felt here. Again, we have this tendancy to demonise the priests and pharissees but they were God's children and Jesus loved them all. Yet here they were lying about Him. It genuinely gives me goosebumps to think about how ridiculously loving Jesus is to us all. Compare this to Pharoah's actions and see how Jesus shows that you can be humble and yet powerful, influential and authoritative all at the same time. Mind blowing stuff.

Finally we dip back to our David Psalm. David finishes his psalm with words of praise for the truth and the direction we can receive from God's word. Like I was trying to say about Pharoah refusing the easy option, David says it oh so much better here! Following God isn't easy but if we look for His will first then situations will work for the better than if we try to manage it ourselves and then look to God to pick up the pieces.

So today I think there's an overwhelming message about pride. I feel more and more confident in God and close to Him, largely through this blog and through my growing youth work. But today's readings are a warning that we should never assume that any sort of connection with God gives us the ability to go it alone or to think we know best. God ultimately will always be there for us but He'd definitely prefer sooner rather than later and we should be careful not to let ourselves ignore Him because we believe too much in ourselves.

And that's your lot for today. Yesterday's song is here and is lovely when played loud! Questions, criticisms and comments welcome as always

Jon