We are coming to the end of this series, in time for looking at Easter and the seasons that connect to the Church age. We have been for the last few weeks examining everything concerning the wilderness that started the Messianic ministry and how it impacts regarding the bringing in the New Covenant. Its important as we move forward to the times of Easter, ascension and Pentecost. These are very important “bridges” toward the privileges we now enjoy.
Jesus makes this question to the multitude who followed Him in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 11. Surely what they went out to see was not something so spectacular…a man dressed roughly, seemed a desert dweller. What drew the people away from the routines of city life? What draws them from the majesty of Temple priesthood?
The same “drawing out” is going on right now. A phrase from Psalm 42 rings true; “deep calls unto deep.” There is a calling to the very depths of people nowadays. Retreat centres here in the UK have full agendas of special themes and private retreat people. There is a drawing away. We can criticise them for drawing away, shying away from apparent responsibilities, but there is something drawing them, or Someone. And what we come out to is neglected lands, devoid of pleasures and distractions.
The theme of repentance, message of John the Baptist and Jesus was seen to be the doorway to this Kingdom, soon to manifest. This turnaround, this change of position facilitates the metanoia which is the transformative power of God. It is this process which compels us to reevaluate all that we believed before, changing our view of God, His purpose with us, and His purposes of the End times. The more I teach, hold discipleship classes, I verify a complete ignorance of end time events. You get the odd snippet of traditional interpretation, but it seems great ignorance pervades the average believer. Hence God Himself is drawing His people out to the “wilderness” and this wilderness is not a physical place but a spiritual one.
Its not “business as usual” because for very many scandals, whether financial, spiritual, in terms of heresy, sexual in terms of abuse, God is allowing to shake confidence in “Church systems.” Instead of becoming fearful or scandalised we need to see it as our opportunity to “go to the wilderness.”
There will be those who will say that we are in danger of delusion and deception. I am persuaded there is enough in the Word of God to keep us grounded, so long as we remain to a common sense approach to the Word. I have come to learn in these 40 years of Christian walk that wild and radical spiritual interpretations do not hold consistency and somehow we are brought into balance by the Holy Spirit.
We are not brought out to “see” in the natural sense. We are brought out to have our spiritual eyes opened. We have to embrace the idea to resist all temptation to make our walk with God a system. This temptation of men to consolidate perceived power into a system always ends badly. God always steers clear of this type of spirituality.
In fact whilst monasticism has been largely forgotten by the mainstream, the monasteries around the UK and the world stem from the pioneering of Anthony of Egypt and St. Benedict and others. The idea that life must be like a wheel with the commitment to prayer being the hub, the spokes being the times during the day where this approach to God’s presence is exercised as a constant. So this “drawing away” may culminate into a more radical separation. This is what monks have done throughout the centuries. Their insights down the generations help us discover depths we never knew by just depending on Sunday meeting life. There is nothing wrong with fellowship at our Church on Sunday but making it our sole interaction with God and His Word is not enough. So when people put down the rights to marry, having a family in favour of radical separation to prayer is being rediscovered. Its not outdated, its necessary. I am sure nations have been saved from destructive war because of the prayers of these dedicated warriors.
It is not what we went out to “hear” that counts, through whom, so long as we hear the Indwelling Spirit speak in the silence we came out to join with. It is in the silence we confront ourselves with our shortcomings, and then take hold of the “live coal” to touch our weakness. Then we are open to what God is doing in our generation. Like in Isaiah 6; “who shall go for us, who shall we send?” We are bold; “here I am, send me. ” A poignant turn from our introspection to go for the Lord.
Its not about what we might see, or hear, its the fact our deep desire for God made it necessary to change certain priorities, to be open to a new life. We rarely go back to the routine from the desert. Who embraced John the Baptist also embraced Jesus, the Messiah. Greater things are ahead!!!
Maranatha!!!
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