Wednesday, 24 December 2008

• His Shoulder

  Isaiah 9:6-7
  

         For to us a child is born,
         to us a son is given,
         and the government will be on his shoulders.
         And he will be called
         Wonderful Counselor, ^[b] Mighty God,
         Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

         Of the increase of his government and peace
         there will be no end.
         He will reign on David's throne
         and over his kingdom,
         establishing and upholding it
         with justice and righteousness
         from that time on and forever.
         The zeal of the LORD Almighty
         will accomplish this.

  
  

  I invite us to ponder on the message of Christmas, the reason Jesus was born many years ago. You can find clues everywhere in the carols this season. This is the most important time of the year for me, because I want to set it apart to remember the very reason life is worth living for. The reason why we should not give up in what we do, the reason why in times of war, turmoil, captivity and lack, there is always Hope. Because God the Father did not give up, and in the most of humble place, we find baby Jesus in a manger, ok, its probably a feeding through for the animals but you get what I mean.

  For unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. Such beautiful verse.

  The human shoulder is a remarkable mechanism, even the latest multi-linked suspension systems in cars fail to match the shoulder. It is made up of just three bones: collarbone, shoulder blade, and the upper arm bone linked by a complex grouping of muscles, ligaments and tendons. The bones come together in a ball and socket joint that allows maximum flexibility. The shoulder must be flexible for the wide range of motion required in the arms and hands and also strong enough to allow for actions such as lifting, pushing and pulling.
  

   

  The shoulder is vulnerable to dislocation, or separation from its connecting tendons and ligaments. Damage to the joint can "freeze" the shoulder, a painful condition of immobility.

   

  But the shoulder is a symbol of physical and emotional strength. The phrase, "I have broad shoulders" means that I can carry an extra burden of work or stress. "You can cry on my shoulder" indicates a willingness and capacity to comfort a hurting or grieving person with emotional support and a listening ear.

   

  There are obvious limits to human strength no matter how much we would rather it be otherwise. Shoulders can fail and break just as emotional patience and resiliency give way over time.

   

  In this season when the days are counted closely, the predominant question is "Are you ready for the holidays?" and the weight of a year's accumulation of work, ministry and effort is felt desperately, your shoulders may be weary. This is just a guess. I may be wrong. You may shrug it off--those shoulders again.

   

  God, who is rich in love and spends it extravagantly, knows you have limitations and weariness and are broken so he sent you a new pair of shoulders in Jesus Christ to carry the full weight of everything that needs to be done, ordered, fixed and protected.  The "government shall be upon his shoulders."

   

  He knows that you are frail and crumble easily (Ps. 103:14). He expects more failure from you than you expect from yourself. And in his great mercy, he gives you a pair of shoulders--true, strong and limitless--to meet every challenge that may come your way and to lift each burden that weighs you down. "Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end" (Isa. 9:7).

   

  Because God knows that trust is an issue for the sin-damaged, betrayed and broken, he came to us as an infant who learned what it means to be carried on human shoulders that aren't always available or that might be too sore or too weak to give the needed support. Jesus grew in wisdom and stature which means he learned that he could not do it on his own as a human--that he needed the constant strength of his Father, that he needed grace because he was "tempted in every way like we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15) and that means he was tempted to despair and give up, to give in, to be driven by desire over principle, to lose his temper, to take rather than to give, to justify himself, to go his own way on his own power.

   

  Jesus didn't give in because he knew and trusted the strength of his Father's shoulders to carry him (John 5:19, 26, 30; 6:38; 8:28; 14:28). His Father's shoulders are his shoulders in the mystery of God in three persons. They are more than adequate to carry you all the way home. "The Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his child, all the way that you went until you came to this place" (Deut. 1:31).

   

  I would not presume to know your need for stronger shoulders right now, but I believe with the full assurance of my mind and heart that Jesus' strength is more than equal to any burden that you may carry.

   

  "Come to me," he invites you. "Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light" (Matt. 11:28-30, God's Word). He has the shoulders to make good on this invitation. "My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need" (Phil. 4:19). These are words to live by and shoulders, strong and flexible, to rely upon--all God and all grace.

   

  "O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him" (Ps. 34:8).
  
  Merry Christmas.
  

  
  

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