The Parable of My Heart - Part 2
Luke 8:16-18 NASB
16 "Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. 17 "For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor [anything] secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 "So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him [more] shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.
In this parable (after the Parable of the Sower), Jesus points to a wonderful mystery. "No one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that everyone who come in may see the light." Instead of container, some translations say, "clay pot." No one may do this, but God does! He has placed His Light in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7). He places his treasure in parables (word pictures and living pictures) for use to ponder, seek, question. Sometimes that includes even my own soul.
And He wants us to bring these questions to Him. "His disciples [began] questioning Him as to what this parable meant. And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest [it is] in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND." Luke 8:9-10.
Asking and seeking the God behind the parable brings me into a new space in relationship. It allows me to dialogue to find answers while getting to know the heart of the parable teller.
"For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light." The hope of Glory, Christ Jesus -- His fruit will become evident. Nothing can hide it from shining forth in a life dedicated to him.
As I journey on this new path of self-enlightenment, of this mid-life crisis, it is a new opportunity to know Christ in new ways and to cooperate with Him here and now. Rather than being a path of self-actualization, it is a path that leads me further into the depth and riches of Christ as one who is made in the image of God and called to be an image-bearer of my Maker. My task, as always, is to know, more and more, how Christ shines and wants to shine further through my life.
I need to be open to the ways the Lord wants to raise me up and put me on a lampstand. The promise of this Scripture is that His light will shine through the container of my flesh and spirit (I am a creation made in the image of God, am I not?). I need to be open to the ways His light wants to shine through me in ways different than before.
I found a great key of insight into how Christ's light may want to shine differently through me. In his book Personality and the Spiritual Life, Reginald Johnson writes, "I mentioned above that at first our creation gift may give us the clue as to our best wavelength for the cultivation of our devotional life. However, many of us have experienced another phenomenon. At some point along the way, perhaps as mid-life, we become open in some rather new ways to God. We are discovering that our weak side is becoming our important new channel through which the Lord is refreshing our lives."[1] He further writes, “The most fruitful place of growth for those in the second half of life is in the area which is the polar opposite to their creation gift – the “weak side” is really a kind of inner “buried treasure.”[2]
In Part of 1 of this blog post, I mentioned community being an important part of my current spiritual formation. As an introvert with a capital “I” it cannot be overstated how important community and close relationship are at this juncture and, I believe, will be moving forward. The already close friendships I have with a few good men are vital.
As are the monthly men’s breakfast that I lead. Here I am challenged specifically in ways that are contrary to my introspective and introverted nature: to speak before other men, share my insights (and receive theirs), and lead us together to experience God’s heart through worship, Scripture, and as we share and sharpen each other.
It is something of a challenge to prepare things each time for us. More than once, even after adequate preparation, I have come to men’s breakfast feeling empty like I have nothing to share. It is a challenge to believe I have something to offer (and I do) but the challenge is God’s invitation to step forward in faith and to see that what He places in my heart can be beneficial and encouraging for others.
Then there are my artistic outputs. Chiefly, this has been through a mixture of worship and prayer. For whatever reason, my efforts to practice these in community in the church both local and ecclesiastical have not flourished. God has given me a great outlet for worship: serving on my worship team; seldom now does the desire and spark to write worship songs come as it once did.
Now the flow seems more towards devotional listening: through Scripture, books, and other media. I have not been excited about the study of Scripture either, but after doing some exegesis for a class (and gaining wonderful insight), I am encouraged to embrace this and develop it into a consistent practice.
These are just a few insights that I have had so far. I am sure there will be more!
posted by fusek330 @ 6:45 PM
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