It looks like more “off the wall” matters present. How can this be that seeking settling can so often lead to only more questions, and some quite unsettling, at that? The same Lord (if we believe Peter spoke as directed by the spirit) that tells men of lawless hands, even in participating to the fulfilling of God’s plan, yes, this same Lord who knows all, sees all, and is in all responsible for all that is in creation would then say “I never knew you” to whomever it is said. Or to be said.
But Jesus…don’t you know everyone? Is this a matter of ignorance of which Jesus is speaking? Is it? Or, just as question once went forth “Adam, where are you?” might imply some ignorance of his (Adam’s) location by the God who fashioned him? But does it? Imply God’s ignorance?
God forbid! It simply cannot be. But if not that then, an expression of ignorance…what? We must consider! For far greater consequence comes if thinking of our God as incomplete in all knowing must come as a place too treacherous to tread. It is not even so much a fear of “going there” but that the manifest nonsense of it is simply too great. If in any way, shape, or form, it comes to us we are serving or in intercourse with an “who” who is incomplete in all knowing (as there are gods many and lords many), may we have the boldness to demand to speak to their Boss. Yes, the true God forbid we seek demi-gods! Or respond to them in, or of, their ignorance.
And even here we find a key. A key formed of some appearance of rebuke, or at least reproval, but God forbid we ignore it.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
We are appointed to no less than our Christ’s knowledge of God, experience of Him, understanding of Him…even though the devils themselves have some “information” (as wrong as it is!) about him, not least of which is that He is One. We have not begun to touch or be touched by depths if we draw back and seek to secure our standing upon no more than the devils do. God forbid.
It was said a few sections back that true relationship is established in some mutuality, some sharing in and of true life that is neither fantasy nor fabrication. This the devils do not, and cannot do. Even as the stalker who may be living out some hidden fantasy of a shared life till facing the object of his lusts could hear “Man, I don;t even know who you are, nor care to, what are you doing on my porch?”” and thus be reproved for his folly (which he may find too much to bear) by a reality suddenly thrust upon him. Yes, even so.
So when Jesus says “I never knew you” it is not an expression of ignorance. It may not even be an expression of malice, but mere statement of fact, of truth. “You are not one who is made open to me by the Father”. But nevertheless this also has implications for us if we declare some mutuality of both knowing the Lord and the Lord knowing us. We dare not seek to draw back from the knowing and sharing all of such weakness, frailty, and yes, even matters we might call sin as they are made known to us. Even as necessary, if still found in us. The Lord has withheld nothing of His own weakness from us even if to such time we may have been ignorant of them. We may have slept through his trial(s) in the garden, slept through the hearing of His loud cries and tears (at that time not to our awakening) But once these are made plain, once we are awakened to them, who will deny? Will we say “I don’t know of any of the weakness of the Christ, nor care to. I don’t know why He said (nor care to)
“Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
O! But God forbid we deny this victor’s cry “It is finished”. But also and God forbid we deny that road taken to it.
Even as Paul once said “I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling”.
Yes our love of strength and power is not something we are not unfamiliar with, the natural man has no problem with any affection toward them. But a sharing (mutuality) in relationship if only, “gee, but I really love your power”, really isn’t (nor can be) mutual at all for us, for what power do we have to share? It is all and only the grace of God manifest through Christ that He became weak for us, who are weakest of all God’s creation…and that by such grace even such mutuality might be made truly known to us, in us, and even…for us. Can this be understood? Is it?
O! but the weak link in creation is not the tree, nor the bird, nor the fish, nor the lion…all these run true to their presently assigned nature…even waiting (even as all creation groans) for a something made weakest of all to manifest alignment to its true nature as sons of God in the earth.
Yes, we like very much to share our strengths, in our own eyes and not unusually in the eyes of others, for they cause us to appear as a something. But this understanding of life, what and how it is, even to us and in us is now quite different. And if we are chosen to “know the Lord as He is” there can be no drawing back from our letting Him know us, as we are. Now of course this sounds ridiculous, for there can be no “keeping” the Lord from the knowledge of anything, even our own selves…yet…only to the measure we are made, even caused to know Him in His weakness, will we ever truly know anything of our own, and from that place both truly know and appreciate how great a salvation is this salvation made to us and in us.
Yes, the whole have no need of a physician.
And so (is it paradoxically?) this question might be asked? What will you have? A treasuring of your own wholeness or an unquenchable desire only fulfilled in the knowing of the Christ of God?
You might even be made exceedingly glad by a God who is relentless in all matters of truth, despite you (or our) own seeming preference of viewing one’s self. For if our joy is all and only in what appears to us of us…even wholeness as it may seem to us, He holds the greater gift, always. And He will to His own end unashamedly show His generosity of Spirit toward His own…even in all their own wrong choosing. Even if it be delighting in what they believe is their own…wholeness.
There’s something, and someone else to see that eclipses that in toto, as rising sun causes darkness to flee before it, showing all its weakness and inability to overcome it.
Or daunt it.
And all of creation groans in travail…do you? Groan inwardly? In some weakness?
Be not ashamed.
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