June 20th, 20

JUNE 20,   A MYSTERY REVEALED

The day’s readings are II Kings 6 – 7,  II Chronicles 20, and I Timothy 3.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

Our life of faith is a mystery.  Sometimes we’re blinded to the reality of what is happening all around us. We see this in II Kings 6. Elisha is surrounded by the great army of the king of Aram.  Elisha, as well as his servant, can see that clearly.  His servant is terrified. He  looks out on this vast horde and he sees defeat.  But the life of faith is a mystery and Elisha has entered into that mystery. He’s fully aware of something that the servant is not aware of.  Faith enables us to see beyond our circumstances. So Elisha prays: 

“O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. (II Kings 6:17 NLT)

What a mystery – a mystery revealed!  Now the servant sees, as clear as day, that God is on their side!  He’s on the side of those that are near to God.  But this is what I love about this story.  God is also on the side of those who are far from him.  Just as God opened the eyes of this servant, he closed the eyes of an advancing army.  He struck them blind. Then Elisha comes out and leads them to another city, different than the one they were planning on attacking.  When God opens their eyes, he doesn’t execute judgement on them.  He doesn’t kill them now that they are surrounded and vulnerable.  He does something completely unexpected.  So mysterious!  He has a meal prepared for them – a great banquet.  And then he sends them home in peace.

A feast is prepared for those who were once far away and blinded to the mystery of God’s love.   The mystery of our faith is that God has shown his grace to those near and far.  He’s opened the eyes of the blind, so that we all might see how good, and kind, and great our God is.  This is what Paul says about the mystery of faith:

Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith:

Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit.

He was seen by angels and announced to the nations.

He was believed in throughout the world, and taken to heaven in glory. (I Tim 3:16 NLT)

When Christ came, our eyes were opened, whether we were near or far.  And we saw in his life, what it is to be truly human:  to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love our neighbor as ourself.  For the first time we saw all of this lived out with such loving perfection, in Jesus.  And the life that he lived qualified him for the death that he died.  He died as the spotless lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.  In that way, his righteous life was imparted – gifted- to blind sinners, who had failed to see how good and kind and gracious our God is.  Through his life, people far and near can have abundant life through him.  This is the message that opens our eyes, so that we might live with eyes wide open for the rest of our lives  

May we see how God continually prepares a banquet of life, joy peace, strength, and hope for us, wherever we are. What a glorious mystery, now revealed.  Keep your eyes opened and on Him, and the mystery of Christ revealed to those near and far, that they might have life.  Live in the light of how good God is.

You are loved!