Broken Heart 2 from Isaiah (chapters 42-53)

Lord,
It is easy to defend against
A broken heart
But
Much more difficult
To live with one
To live through one.

Fighting fear
discouragement
small faith
disgrace
shame
the disgust of others
rejection
pain
deep suffering
oppression
An finally
The inner death
That heart-brokenness brings…
These
Are the battles
A broken heart must wage…
Successfully…
So that it does not die
In hardness.

While brokenness gives the feeling
Of death,
Hardness
Is death…
Too often irreversible…
Almost irreparable…

Lord,
You know why I said, “Almost…”
Since
You are the God-of-impossible-causes,
The One Who melts stone-hard-hearts
Into living vibrating centers
Of LIFE!

This is what You accomplished
By taking our sins
Onto Your bruised shoulders
And fighting for our souls
From Your heart-broken cross-perch
Above Jerusalem.
You lived through every sorrow
We can imagine
And more.
So while Your heart
Was continually broken,
It was never weak…
It never wavered in pointing
You
Toward YaHWeH-willed-acts
Toward speaking YaHWeH’s Own words
To us…
For us.

So as You wept over us…
Over Jerusalem…
It was a broken-hearted YaHWeH
Who bemoaned our hard hearts.
It was the same YaHWeH
Whose heart was first torn in Noah’s day
Over the sin of our ancestors.

You…
As YaHWeH-in-the-flesh
Sobbed over the sin-cost to us all…
Our Father-YaHWeH
Would close the heavens
To mend
What had first broken His Own Heart…
Your Holy Spirit living in us
Each day still chooses
To endure our bad choices
Out of love
Never once interrupting
His deeper-than-words-prayers
For us.

It seems that
YaHWeH has chosen…
To live with a broken,
Wounded,
Stabbed,
Saddened heart
Rather than kill us all!

And that is the choice we all face…
To live broken-hearted
Or to kill those
Who hurt us.

Until...

ISAIAH 42:1-4
(The Message)

"Take a good look at my servant.
I'm backing him to the hilt.
He's the one I chose,
and I couldn't be more pleased with him.
I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life.
He'll set everything right among the nations.
He won't call attention to what he does
with loud speeches or gaudy parades.
He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt
and he won't disregard the small and insignificant,
but he'll steadily and firmly set things right.
He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped
until he's finished his work—to set things right on earth.

Lord,
To me…
You will always be
the quiet
steady
unstoppable man
Who never stepped
on another person
verbally…or
physically…
Who showed us
YaHWeH’s light up close
without blinding us
at all.
It was as if You
were hearing YaHWeH
whisper
in Your ears.
Each day new things
came out from
Your mouth
and hands and eyes…
which were
always
grace-filled…
life-giving…
YaHWeH-focused.
It was as if You wanted
Your Abba
to take credit for
everything You were…
everything You said…
everything You did.

So…You went after
the blind
to make them see…
the lepers
to touch them
back into life…
the wild party-ers
to love them
into Your Way…
the children
to look into their
eyes…and
to bless their future.
YaHWeH’s Messiah
Was to have been a Mighty Man
Who would free
YaHWeH’s people…like
Moses did…but
no one ever asked
what kind of person
Messiah would be…and
no one ever dreamed
that YaHWeH’s prophets
had called Messiah
“Emmanuel”…for
a reason…no one
knew You
were the Almighty One
dressed up
just like us.
We were awed by You…
even peeved with You…
upset when You asked
more than we wanted
to give…but
on those cross-days…
at that final
dark day…
we began to see..
to notice…
to hope…
what seemed to be
an impossibility.
You had been simply
Faithful to YaHWeH’s plans…alone…
Nothing else
Moved You…unless it was
our hopeless condition…
when every so often
You wept openly…
overcome by our deep
brokenness.
Only later
did we realize
how severely YaHWeH’s heart
breaks for us…
each day.

UNFORCED

ZECHARIAH 4:6-7 THE MESSAGE

Then he said, "This is God's Message to Zerubbabel:
'You can't force these things.
They only come about through my Spirit,'
says God-of-the-Angel-Armies. '
So, big mountain, who do you think you are?
Next to Zerubbabel you're nothing but a molehill.
He'll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place,
accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!'"

Lord,
Most things in life
good
lovely
blessed
cannot come through
force…but like
a lover…
they can only be
wooed….and
encouraged.

Your grace-plans
for us,
Your little ones,
were created
in might…and
in all wisdom…yet
are brought about
by weak men…and
women whose
fear
was often their most
constant companion.

Your eternal might
was bent
to produce a baby
in a young girl
who
was asked by Gabriel
if she would
consent…yes
Mary was asked
like a lover…when
a young man
declares himself…and
waits
for either rejection…or
the joy that
that comes first
in the accepting eyes
of his beloved.

Whether it was Your plans
to rebuild
the temple…or
to bring Yourself
into an
Immanuel-state-of-nearness
to us…
always…
Your faithfulness
along with our
answer
to You…is what
drives Grace into
place.

You…the ALL-MIGHTY ONE…
waits
on us…the weak…
to do Your grace-work…
for grace-that-is-forced
is no Grace at all!

You Shine! from Isaiah 49:1-3

“Listen, far-flung islands,
pay attention, faraway people:
God put me to work from the day I was born.
The moment I entered the world he named me.
He gave me speech that would cut and penetrate.
He kept his hand on me to protect me.
He made me his straight arrow
and hid me in his quiver.
He said to me, "You're my dear servant,
Israel, through whom I'll shine."

Isaiah wrote this passage about One Who would come as YaHWeH’s suffering servant. Jewish scholars today identify this “suffering servant” as Israel herself. We Christians know Him as Jesus Christ. This thought came primarily from the end of verse 3 as the Messiah meditates on His calling...and as I join Him in worship. I use the word "Lord" like Paul did in always referring to Jesus by this title.

Lord,
You shine!
You shine through me!
You shine with YaHWeH-glory!
YOU shine!

The sun is dim
Compared to You!
The sunlight is dark
Before Your gleam!
You take GLORY
and make it
close to us!
You take discouragement
and unmask it
as the impostor
it is…for
You shine…
not me!
You SHINE…and
all I do
is enjoy the LIGHT
as it
conquers all
standing against
You!
I do not fight!
You SHINE!
YOU shine!

Most mysteriously…
You WAIT…
for me
to be ready
to reflect
to carry Your light!
You have chosen NOT
to shine
in such away that
I die!
You have declared
Yourself to be FOR
me…so
Your light will
always be life
to me!
Like a kind shepherd
You wait
for the slow, small
steps…
the faltering
steps…
the heavy
steps…
to catch up…and
so it seems that
while You SHINE...
it is my small
torch
You want to use
to light up
the world.

Spitting on YaHWeH

Spitting on YaHWeH

“In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart." (Jesus in Mark 10:6-9 The Message)

Lord,
YaHWeH has made
Many things plain…
others
He has left vague.

One thing we must
Believe…in order
To claim to follow YaHWeH…
and You…
is that He…and
You have created
all that is,
making the human
race
into two-of-a-kind
designed
for a one-of-a-kind
union
where the physical act
we call “love” shows
both
YaHWeH’s artistry…and
His desire to make us
better…
deeper…
stronger.

Lord, You made marriage
ultimately personal…
not
merely an act of
desire…and
fulfillment
as so many say…
instead,
You made the first
marriage to be
a sign of
YaHWeH-love…
YaHWeH-interest…
YaHWeH-engagement
with us.

It’s as if
in every marriage
there are three partners…
the woman…
the man…and
You, Lord.

Is this why Your scriptures
Tell us that the marriage bed
is
undefiled…a
holy-place…a
blessing-place…to
NOT be skipped
on a whim…or
in anger…a
place where a
man and a woman
can please one another
resting
in Your embrace?

Is this true?

I sure hope so, Lord.

Leave Me To Myself (Luke 5:4-11)

Leave me to myself from Luke 5:4-11

4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, "Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch." 5-7Simon said, "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets." It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch 8-10Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. "Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself." When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee's sons, coworkers with Simon.10-11Jesus said to Simon, "There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women." They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him. (Luke 5 The Message)

Lord,
It is much easier
to be left alone
than it is
to follow You…

It is much easier
to wash nets…
to even celebrate a
tough, fruitless day…
to do nothing…
than it is
to go with You.

It is much easier
to declare You
to be too Holy
for us to associate
with…than
it is to go with You.

Fear beats loudly
in our hearts…
in our ears
when we hear You
call out to us…

What will people think?
What will happen next?
What can we do…
we’re just losers
who didn’t make the cut…

We say,
“I am incapable.”
“I won’t know what to do.”
“What if…?”

All these questions fill the air…
and more…
Your answer
Is…always the same…
“Don’t be afraid.”
“I will teach you...”
“We will catch people.”
“Together.”

God-Joined from Mark 10:6-9

God-Joined from Mark 10:6-9

“In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart.” (Mark 10:6-9 The Message)

Lord,
The Pharisees…and
Us…Your guys…we all
Missed it!

They were talking about
divorce…and
Moses…
You were talking about
marriage…and
YaHWeH.

They were talking about
permission…
how far
they could go…
You were talking about
YaHWeH’s heart-gift
of marriage…
of the oneness
that YaHWeH causes
when a man and a woman
become one in body…
losing themselves
inside
one another.

Our mistake
was that we thought
we
did all this…as if
we chose our sex-partners
and
nothing else was
happening.

You told us…that…
from the Beginning…
YaHWeH had
a gift ready
for us…straight
from His heart!
This YaHWeH-gift involved us
choosing a mate…and
becoming one-flesh…and
somehow
YaHWeH’s Own Presence would
complete
the act
our bodies began.

We act
As if love is a thing
we invented…that
we fall into…like
stepping in doggie doo-doo…or
a thing
we do by ourselves…or
as nothing at all
exceptional...
just the act of
sex…pleasing ourselves…
a recreational pursuit
not unlike eating
a good meal.

We lie to ourselves
with each of these
love-ideas…we
twist and distort
YaHWeH’s heart-gift
to us…
killing off a bit
of our own hearts
with each lie we tell…
ourselves & others
with our words…
with our bodies.

Lord,
You saw us…each…
the poor Christ-follower…
the proud Pharisee…
the clueless passer-by…
as people in need
of more than
another sermon…or
a bit of permission
to do what we badly
wanted to do.

You saw us as needing
YaHWeH’s heart
beating inside
inside our own heart…so
we could see others
through His eyes…
through Yours…so…
You took time
with us…calling to us…
like the Lover You are.

The Hard-Hearted Life from Mark 10:1-12

Lord,
Many people came to You
With questions…real life
Questions that had buried
their hearts…and so
they bared their hearts
to You.
Some hard men came one day
Looking
to trip You up.
They asked a question
designed
to decrease Your following
to show You up
for the un-learned
bumpkin
they thought you to be.
“Is it lawful
to divorce Your wife?”

Your response to their,
“Moses was cool
with it.”
was to begin talking
about the core of marriage…
the heart.
You reminded them
that YaHWeH
invented marriage…
performed the first wedding…
and
saw marriage
as a kind of heart-thermometer
that shows
how soft…or
how hard our hearts
are.

As we sinned in Adam…then
in our own lives,
YaWeH had marriage
ready
as the great human heart
lab & surgery room
where healing…or
hardening would occur.

For…
In the way we
Have fallen from grace...and
have continued
to hide from it…
we need a place
to be both
healed…and
revealed.

Marriage
Is YAHWeH’s shortcut to both.
If a woman…a man…
is willing…
YaHWeH will bring them
together
to test their heart
material…stretching it
to the limit
so it can return
softer…stronger…bigger.

Fear fights YaHWeH
Everyday for the mastery of
Our hearts…our marriages.

And on that long ago day,
You
Taught some hard men
A lesson
they chose
to ignore.

As Your guys listening in…
We were confused
Until later…
Fearing marriage as a thing
too difficult
to be attempted…especially
When You told us
That re-marrying was to add
The act of adultery
against our first bride
to our list of issues…then
we were frightened even more.

Only later…
Did we come to the place
Where
We heard Your deep concern
For our hearts…and
then we began
to understand
ourselves…and
You a bit better.

We were not made
For alone-ness…
We were made for
one another…
who we can see…and
most of all
for You…for YaHWeH…
Who had remained
invisible
for so long.

Come to us, Great King…
Wonderful Friend
Awesome Lord
Mighty Warrior
Gentle Lover
Strong Husband of
our souls…
come.

YaHWeH's Verdict

Isaiah writes these words about the coming Messiah…
and His discouragement…

“But I said, ‘I've worked for nothing.
I've nothing to show for a life of hard work.
Nevertheless, I'll let God have the last word.
I'll let him pronounce his verdict.’"
Isaiah 49:4 (The Message)

Lord,
You knew discouragement
For what it truly is…
a weariness of heart…
a temptation to quit…
to stop short
of YaHWeH’s goal.

Voicing Your despair
Helped You to hear Your Own heart…
to fully experience Your grief
at our hardened
wounded
tired
ready-to-quit hearts.

The Enemy had earlier tempted
You in the desert…
with food to break Your fast
with power exercised
just for its own sake…
to make You feel
better…
with power used
to make You look more
like YaHWeH’s Messiah…
to bring many to Your
side…
easily…
quickly…
painlessly…
then finally he came at You…
with a simple, direct
command
to bow down
to someone other than
Your Abba…
to work through the
dark power of
earthly kings
to bring about the
YaHWeH-kingdom.

But…I think…we…
Your disciples…were
A harder test than all these…since
We hardly left Your side
For three years…until
it got too real for us
at the end.
We were slow of mind…and
Hard of heart.
Far too often.

Peter…
wanted to stop You
from going to Jerusalem…
he got a dark nickname
for a moment or two…
to go along with “Rock.”
James and John…
wanted to nuke
any who opposed You…and
those “Thunder Boys”
got a nickname as well.
Judas…
stole from the purse…and
always needed more…
“Always Empty.”
Simon…
would go on at times
about all “Roman Dogs”
deserving to die…
“Wild Man.”
Matthew…
would reminisce about
his easier days…
“Party Animal.”
We all…
wondered at the women
You were so quick to teach
who then followed us…
Your mom…she was
to be expected…but
the Magdalene?
the others?
No other Rabbi taught
women so easily.

I know
That we were a strong source
Of discouragement to You…
Often.

Yet…
You never left us…

You seemed to be awaiting
A verdict…from
Where?

I think you were waiting for
YaHWeH’s Words to You…maybe
that’s why You left us
for a few hours
at night…
so often.
What did Your Abba
Say to You?
Did He warn You about us?
Judas?
Your soon coming
Jerusalem-death-days?
Temple-worship-gone-bad?
Demonized Caiaphas?
Fools…like Pilate?
The coming visitation
of YaHWeH-wrath onto
the only One able
to bear it…
to carry it…
to believe through it?
Every bit of it?

Discouragement
Can lead us to either
crush our own heart…our own
heart-desire for You…or…
to faithfully and loyally
await our Abba’s
Verdict
just like You did.