"I've come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be— Three against two, and two against three; Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law."
---Luke 12:49-53 (the message bible)
For any of you, who have seen the movie "The Chronicles of Narnia" (or read the book), there is this pivotal scene in where the kids first come in contact with Aslan the Lion. Before getting close to Aslan, they asked those around them "Is He safe?"
A question any one might ask before getting close to a beast like a Lion.
And their reply..."No He's not safe...but He's worth it!"
There are some that preach the message, come to Christ and everything works itself out. Everything is great from then on out. That could not be further from the truth. Don't get me wrong the christian relationship is great, it is good, it is beautiful. But those words seem to take on new meanings.
When Jesus came to earth, He did seek to bring unity and peace to that which was broken. But He also did something else...He turned everything upside down.
Those who are last will be first, the weak are strong...He uses the foolish things to confuse the wise...Jesus, the long awaited king was born in a stable, not a kingdom palace...rode a donkey for a parade not a horse and chariot...instead of coming to rule, He came to serve... a king sacrificed his position in heaven to die on a cross for humanity...
He even went and overthrew the tables in the temple to bring it back to His Father's house of prayer.
During that time, people were so deep into traditions and legalism ( maybe today too). Jeus came and shook that all up.
He questioned those in authority (pharisees). He did something never done before. He accused them of being "white washed tombs". Basically saying that they appeared all nice and neat on the outside, but dead on the inside. They were all about living by the Law, and Jesus all about living by grace.
Once you come to Christ, things will become different. Things that you once held so dear, now you are asked to sacrifice. To get rid of. Put the old self to death. You may be ridiculed and people who loved you may turn their backs on you.
And this is the very thing that people have died for over the years. Put their own life on the line for, over seas and even here in our own country.
Just look at Paul. Shipwrecked, imprisioned (too many times to count), health sticken, almost everything imagineable all for the cause of Christ. Stephen stoned in the open square, the list goes on...
But why then do we keep on living this way? Because we know their is something greater at stake. There is a hope and a joy found in Christ.
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. "---{ Romans 8:18 nkjv}
If you are looking for a safe religion...keep looking...this is a relationship...and
No He is not safe...but He is worth it, so worth it!
For there is no joy as to that which is found in Him!
