Take Heart, Son

It drove me crazy when they called me that word, but now I love it.

This morning I was reading part of Matthew. I ran across the chapter where Jesus first sends out His disciples. He gives (in my opinion) one of the most intense speeches in scripture, shifting back and forth from explaining the coming challenges and offering comfort.

Toward the end, he references a verse from Micah in the Old Testament, saying, "I have come to turn a man against his father and a daughter against her mother... a man's enemies will be the members of his own household." Chilling. I've often strugged with this part of the Bible. Is Jesus really wanting to break up families?

One of my favorite current commentators writes about this. "The greatest danger of idolatry comes not from what is bad, but from what is good - like love in family relationships. The greatest danger to the best comes from second best." So by focusing solely on my father here, I lose focus elsewhere. That makes sense.

Years ago, it drove me crazy when people (especially much older people) would call me son. Now, for some reason, I like it. It's comforting. Thankfully, Jesus does just that in the previous chapter of Matthew with two people, a man and a woman.

"Take heart, son. Take heart, daughter," He says.

God wants me to recognize Him as Father first--even before my biological father. It's difficult for me to recognize sometimes, but the Creator of the universe calls me "son." I love that. And it makes me take heart.

Careful Which Peg To Use

I was reading this morning in Isaiah, and I can't get a certain section out of my mind. Isaiah is talking about Eliakim, who is about to replace the governor of the palace, Shebna, who is removed from office because of his pride.

Isaiah refers to both these men as "pegs" driven in the wall. Shebna is cut down in preparation for the coming of Eliakim. The words right after is the part that struck me: "[Shebna] will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down."

I realized that I have so many things in life hanging on the wrong pegs (my intellect, my relationships, my computer even!), and in an instant, any of those pegs could be cut down along with load hanging on them. Without a completely secure peg, everything hangs in the balance. Only One peg in all of history has ever been completely secure, and it's on Him that I want my life to hang.

Keep On Keeping On

I recognize that though I have now come a long way up the mountain, I still have a long journey before I reach the top. My only drive is the knowledge that this trail was once ridden steadily by One much more courageous than I.

Isaiah 50:6-9

"There are two kinds of courage: the courage of moment, which requires no previous thought, and a “planned” courage, which sees the difficulty ahead and steadfastly marches towards it. Jesus had this kind of courage; He could see the cross in the horizon, but still set His face like a flint."

-DAVID GUZIK, Bible commentator


"There was no flint in the heart of Jesus, but there was much in His face. He was as resolute as He was submissive."

-CHARLES H. SPURGEON, preacher