The Sacred and Supernatural Way of Jesus

It is to the Lord Jesus you abandon yourself.  It is also the Lord whom you will follow as the Way; it is the Lord you will hear as the Truth, and it is from the Lord that you will receive Life.  (John 14:6)  If you follow Him as the Way, you will hear Him as the Truth, and He will bring life to you as the Life.  (Guyon, Jeanne; Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ)

I had always thought that when Jesus explained himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, he was stacking metaphors to emphasize what he said next: "No one comes to the Father but by me."  What Jeanne Guyon wrote made me take another look at this verse.  I began to think that Jesus may have given these metaphors in order to give his disciples a path to follow him while he was not physically present.

Jesus is the Way.  He turned away people who would not follow his way, calling them to humble trust (Matthew 8:18-22).  Although Jesus told his disciples to respect the authority of the teachers of Israel by doing what they said, he warned them carefully not to do what they did (Matthew 23:2-3).

The Sacred Way of Humility

The humility of Jesus is best described in Philippians 2 as one "who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."  Just as Jesus entered human life, bringing God into every corner of human existence, so each disciple brings Jesus and his Father into each part of their own human existence.  We must not stand above or apart from our own lives, trying to grasp at something other than what we are given.

Within the stream of Christian tradition, we begin the way of humility with the call to Sacramental Living.  It starts small, perhaps with church attendance or Bible reading or habitually helping others for Jesus' sake, but like yeast in a lump of dough, it spreads and has effects far beyond its apparent quantity.  Sacramental living uses ritual and everyday life to grow in Christ.  Humble means for the humble way.

The Supernatural Way of the Spirit

The faith of Jesus, his utter trust in his Father, seems most amazingly obvious in his statement, "Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12)  Human beings we intended to act with power far beyond themselves.  With a trust like Jesus, we find that the finger of God comes to lift burdens, cast out demons, and heal the sick in ways that are not explainable by normal human activity.


Within the stream of Christian tradition, true humility leads to deep trust and power.  This is life directed and empowered by the Spirit of Christ.  Those who follow Jesus must follow him in the Spirit.  We begin and finish with the Spirit.  Jesus explained how in the life of his disciples the filling of the Spirit would cause many things to happen, like seeds growing into plants all by themselves (Mark 4:27-28)  We are meant to do all things far beyond our own capability.

Wide and Deep and High

Sacramental living spreads the presence and work of Christ horizontally through one's life - wide.  The way of Christ may start in church, but it will spread into family and work.  The rituals and everyday practices become doors through which Jesus can enter life.  If they become too important in themselves, however, such practices lead to a constricted and dry life.  They must be jars to be filled and used instead of bricks to be labored over and made into walls.

Spirit-empowered living expands each part of life higher and deeper, giving it a vertical dimension.  At first it may seem life lightning striking out of nowhere, but then as trust deepens, so the higher ways of the Spirit become more evident and understandable.  Although disciples of Jesus follow him in the Spirit, they must never lose their grounding in everyday life.  Power without humility intoxicates the mind.  Daily living with rituals and practices keep power from overwhelming us.

The way of Jesus is a way of humble trust.  It is grounded in daily life and meaningful practices, where human life exists.  It also expands and explodes all human definitions through a dynamic life in the Spirit, who deepens our trust in God by his every action.  The way of Jesus is both sacred and supernatural.

Devoting Oneself to Humility: Motives

Morning

(Pray)

Praise the LORD, O my soul;

   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

  and forget not all his benefits—

 who forgives all your sins

  and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

  and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

  so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:1-5)


(Praise the Lord.  Thank him for one thing or remember one wonderful thing about him.  Say, "Lord, thank you for . . ."  or "Lord, you are . . . ."  Use the Psalm as your starting place.)


Midday

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  (Matthew 18:1-4)

(Take time to watch a child.  Remember your own childhood.  Think of God as your "daddy.")

Evening

There are three great motives that urge us to humility. It becomes me as a creature, as a sinner, and as a saint. The first we see in the heavenly hosts, in un-fallen man, in Jesus as Son of Man. The second appeals to us in our fallen state, and points out the only way through which we can return to our right place as creatures. In the third we have the mystery of grace, which teaches us that, as we lose ourselves in the overwhelming greatness of redeeming love, humility becomes to us the consummation of everlasting blessedness and adoration.  (Andrew Murray, Humility, Introduction)

(Which motive for humility are you most familiar with?  Which motive draws you most?  Ask God to use these motives to deepen your humility.)

†          †          †  

Praise comes from humility.  Praise, like humility, comes from the three things mentioned in Murray's introduction.  I praise because I am a creature and God is my Maker.  I praise because I am a sinner and God is my Savior.  He "redeems my life from the pit."  I praise because I am a saint.  Praise is my destiny and life, so that my "youth is renewed like the eagles."  Praise comes from humility.

When I think about God as my "daddy," I have an image of my hand in his.  He doesn't let go, nor does he get tired of holding my hand.  He doesn't get tired of me.  One of the parts of being a child is the expectation that a parent will be there to watch over me, help me, and delight in me.  To humble myself like a child is to expect God's love and care and never doubt it.  If I feel lost, I will wait for him (and maybe cry, too).  If I feel him near, I will engage in the never-ceasing questions and the requests of "Let me show you this, daddy."


I have been drawn into humility from my sinner side recently.  Struggling with anger and depression opens up all sorts of bad habits and thoughts.  Yesterday, I just became aware of how weak I am.  My daughter sprained he ankle and it now having to strengthen it.  The damage is healed, but now it is somewhat weak.  I feel I am there with a number of my struggles.  God has healed a number of hurts and broken places, but now I remain weak and easily hurt myself over and over.


Strengthening requires humility.  As a recovering sinner, I have to rely on God's grace and strength to come into me so I can recover.  I cannot recover on my own.  Yet, he gives me exercises I can do to accept that strength that he sends.  I cannot recover without exercising.  Exercising (and resting) build strength.  Troubles and challenges show me how much I have come to rely on God's strengthening grace.  I must continue to do my "therapy," however before I can meet such troubles well.  As a recovering sinner, I am always exercising and resting in God's grace.  "Continue to  out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you."  (Philippians 2:12-13)


Lord, I cannot completely forget all your benefits because I need them so much.  Your healing grace, your forgiving grace, your redeeming grace, your satisfying grace is what I long for and need.  The less I forget, the more I stand in praise, holding your hand, allowing you to lead me in eternal living at your side.  I pray for my own complete recovery.  Amen.