And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet,
weeping,
wetting His feet with her tears,
wiping them with the hair of her head,
kissing His feet
anointing them with the perfume.
--What in me, what hard-heartedness, what ambivalence, what apathy arrests me, ties my heart and head, preventing me from responding with such extravagant love, profound sorrow and whirling-dervish joy to the Lord Jesus?
5 27 08
Monday, January 16, 2012
God in His Underwear
Passover eve, Jerusalem
Tonight Jesus of Nazareth, proposed to His Bride-and He did it in His underwear.
He took off His outer garments then took a towel and knotted it around His waist; poured water in a basin and washed the feet of His own servants; An act of humble love. Before washing their feet, Jesus said, “This is the new covenant in my blood.” Not only was He ending a religious system, He was proposing an entirely new relationship. He was proposing marriage; a marriage between Him and His soon-to-be church, the Ecclesia—His Bride.
The covenant in Hebrew times was a “till-death-do-us-part” blood oath. “Blood is thicker than water” is a corruption of the original saying, “Blood is thicker than milk,” meaning that two who are committed to one another in this way are closer than two brothers. Blood oaths, or blood covenants were made or “cut” between parties who wished to declare their permanent loyalty to one another: two friends (as David and Jonathan-see 1 Samuel 18), two neighboring kings ("susserain" treaties), two warring tribes, former enemies who became reconciled and in the marriage ceremony. In this solemn covenant, all the resources of both were dedicated to the union. “My checkbook is yours, my sword is yours my very life is yours.”
In one version of this ceremony, both covenanters walked between the halves of slain animals, wading in their shed blood (see Genesis 15). In figure, they were pledging to stick together through any and all events, thick and thin, wealth and poverty and each willing to aid the other unto death. Often, the ceremony also involved the cutting of the palm or wrist-the “blood brother” ceremony of North-American native groups being one well-known example.
“I wish to be united with you in a permanent covenant unto death. Now I kneel before you as a supplicant for your hand in marriage. Tomorrow I will “cut covenant” with you. “Will you be mine?” And it was so: His wrists, His feet and His head were all pierced. He not only cut the covenant, He met the ultimate demand of the covenant: “unto death.”
Behold what love He has for us. See Him, God in the flesh, kneeling as a servant in His underwear, proposing to us, His Church, His Ecclesia, His Bride. We, the fickle bride, are embarrassed at His extravagant display of emotion; His over-the-top proposal. We turn away, embarrassed, see who is watching, turn red. But He persists, on His knees, wanting to bathe our feet, to hear our response of love. Nevertheless, He persists no matter what our response, individually or corporately. He still kneels today. He has cut the covenant, He has made His proposal and continues to persist the most ardent of suitors; the most persistent pursuer. And, here and now, or then and there, we will all say “Yes” to this most extravagant of lovers.
“Yes, my Lord, Oh yes!”
1-15-12
Tonight Jesus of Nazareth, proposed to His Bride-and He did it in His underwear.
He took off His outer garments then took a towel and knotted it around His waist; poured water in a basin and washed the feet of His own servants; An act of humble love. Before washing their feet, Jesus said, “This is the new covenant in my blood.” Not only was He ending a religious system, He was proposing an entirely new relationship. He was proposing marriage; a marriage between Him and His soon-to-be church, the Ecclesia—His Bride.
The covenant in Hebrew times was a “till-death-do-us-part” blood oath. “Blood is thicker than water” is a corruption of the original saying, “Blood is thicker than milk,” meaning that two who are committed to one another in this way are closer than two brothers. Blood oaths, or blood covenants were made or “cut” between parties who wished to declare their permanent loyalty to one another: two friends (as David and Jonathan-see 1 Samuel 18), two neighboring kings ("susserain" treaties), two warring tribes, former enemies who became reconciled and in the marriage ceremony. In this solemn covenant, all the resources of both were dedicated to the union. “My checkbook is yours, my sword is yours my very life is yours.”
In one version of this ceremony, both covenanters walked between the halves of slain animals, wading in their shed blood (see Genesis 15). In figure, they were pledging to stick together through any and all events, thick and thin, wealth and poverty and each willing to aid the other unto death. Often, the ceremony also involved the cutting of the palm or wrist-the “blood brother” ceremony of North-American native groups being one well-known example.
“I wish to be united with you in a permanent covenant unto death. Now I kneel before you as a supplicant for your hand in marriage. Tomorrow I will “cut covenant” with you. “Will you be mine?” And it was so: His wrists, His feet and His head were all pierced. He not only cut the covenant, He met the ultimate demand of the covenant: “unto death.”
Behold what love He has for us. See Him, God in the flesh, kneeling as a servant in His underwear, proposing to us, His Church, His Ecclesia, His Bride. We, the fickle bride, are embarrassed at His extravagant display of emotion; His over-the-top proposal. We turn away, embarrassed, see who is watching, turn red. But He persists, on His knees, wanting to bathe our feet, to hear our response of love. Nevertheless, He persists no matter what our response, individually or corporately. He still kneels today. He has cut the covenant, He has made His proposal and continues to persist the most ardent of suitors; the most persistent pursuer. And, here and now, or then and there, we will all say “Yes” to this most extravagant of lovers.
“Yes, my Lord, Oh yes!”
1-15-12
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