Like any invitation, some will RSVP and some will not. Some heard His divine call in person and still turned away. One dying thief asked for mercy while the other cursed Jesus out. The invite is open to all receiving hearts but not received by all hearts. And only those who respond to the prompting into a deeper, fuller life and want to see end up seeing. Only those who are tired of being blind will gladly accept the gift of sight. It is said that what we most behold, we become the most like and it is no different with this invitation to "come and see." The more we identify what we really want and the most we ask Jesus to show us that place where He resides - to sit in that space that is His peace, His glory, His goodness, His love - the more we will see and know who He really is. As with any relationship, the more curious we are and the more intentional time we spend in His presence, the more our eyes will open to the million little miracles that is doing life with God.
Jesus's reply to "come... and you will see" means far more than just a little answer to a couple guys who wanted to know if this Teacher's ministry was for real. It means that we have been given access to all that is the Almighty's vastness and He will reveal Himself to those whose hearts desire Him the most. He will open our understanding to great things if we're willing to take that step and grasp His hand. Like a parent with a small child, He leads us further into His abundance and reminds us that the invitation stands renewed daily. This is not a one-time thing but a life-time thing. And some of the first recorded words we ever read of the Christ set the tone for the entire good news: if we come near, just as we are, and say yes to the best invitation ever issued, we will see wondrous things. If we get real about what we truly want... and if He ends up being all we truly want... there is no end to the things He will show us. Things that honestly will take a lifetime and then an eternity to grasp.
"Come... and you will see" is the start of the realest life you've ever wanted. A life only made possible by the One who gave it to you in the first place.
I get it. I really do. I put up walls for a long time due to things I personally went through and there's still a little part of me that has to be put at ease around the closer relationships in my life. When others have violated your boundaries (or you never had boundaries to be begin with!), and you've found yourself picking up the remnants of a once-beautiful garden that now lies in waste, it can be tempting to just shut yourself in and resolve to never lean into community or relationship ever again. Perhaps you're there now, just like my friend. But may I suggest that walls, while certainly stronger and less accessible, can also become permanent. Fences can be moved and removed and the gate can swing freely open or closed as needed. But walls can stand for decades and even centuries - think of Hadrian's Wall in Britain. Walls can become a way of life and you can end up cutting yourself off to so much beauty and so much good in the name of never being hurt again.
But the way of the Master always leads through pain. You can never see the resurrection if you do not endure the death of what we once knew. Healing lies on the other side of exposure, disclosure - having all your known turned upside down and suddenly realizing that people and life weren't what you expected. While utterly wrecking, this is how God begins to write new chapters: on the other end of our worst valleys. Someone telling you at your lowest, as you pick up broken stems and trampled blooms and see if there is anything salvageable, that hope and redemption are on the other side of all this broken feels like a cruel lie. Your brain just tells you, Quit on love entirely. Why is there any reason to believe that there is still the possibility for good?
Yet, in the center of all the ruin, steps the loving arms of Jesus that transcend any walls. He who stepped through literal walls to reveal His resurrected self to His fearful disciples who had shut themselves in (Luke 24:36-49), now steps into your own erected walls and speaks peace to you. He who said He was the door (John 10:9-16) unlocks your barred doors and presents His presence right in the midst of the mess. When everyone else may have been shut out of your life, God never can be. He who laid down His life for the sheep now asks you to lay down your pride and let Him comfort you in the pain. He is the God who gently invades all the spaces you've tried to keep others out. And He tells you that there is a beautiful life on the other side of these walls and that you don't have to stay here forever. Take all the time you need to heal, but believe in the hope of life on the other side.
Boudnaries are necessary. We need them in order to have healthy relationships with others and to protect the best of who we are. And sometimes, we need to build a taller fence so others can peak over and get over anytime they decide. But it's still a fence and not a wall. Prisons are made of walls. Gardens and yards have fences. One keeps the bad in, the other keeps the bad out and the good in. Which do you want to have?
Add comment
Comments