Rooted in Christ

Each day, we can be reminded that God is with us and that He loves us so much that He sent His Son in order that we might come to know Him, that we might be saved. In John 15, Jesus taught on the concept of "abiding" in His presence:
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

In Scripture, God gives us a clear picture of what a right relationship with humanity looks like - we are called to surrender to Him, so that Jesus might live through us. When we are in that right harmony, or alignment, then we will see the life of Christ expressed in and through our lives. We can bear fruit for His glory, not because we are attempting to do good in our human strength, but because the one true, good, and mighty God, has chosen to use us as vessels in order to show the world who He is.

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Jesus, while here on earth, demonstrated a clear sense of who He was and what He came to do - He expressed it in John 5:
19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

You may be familiar with the movie, Hacksaw Ridge, which was a collaborative effort involving filmmaker Randall Wallace and director Mel Gibson (who, by the way, as it's been reported, are working on a sequel to The Passion of the Christ).  The film portrayed a young man, Desmond Doss, who had a conviction that he should not be involved in combat - he served in the Army as a medic, and was involved in saving numerous lives in an especially intense battle.

Doss was played by Andrew Garfield; his brother, Harold, was played by a gentleman named Nathaniel Buzolic. The Movieguide website featured a story recently in which the actor is quoted - it says:

“​​Have you ever read the Gospel of Mark & started to wonder why Jesus kept instructing people whom He healed not to share who Healed them with anyone?” Buzolic wrote beneath a picture of the Sea of Galilee. “We first see this in CHP 1 of marks gospel – after The leper is healed jesus sternly warns him with these words’ see that you say nothing to anyone, but go show yourself to the priest, then for your cleansing, offer what Moses commanded as a testimony.’

“The leper Didn’t obey these instructions & Jesus’ fame spread quickly through the region your looking at in this photo.”

Buzolic adds that more important than any physical miracle of Jesus’ earthly ministry was Christ’s work on the cross and the saving of humans from their sins.

“Jesus didn’t want people to proclaim Him as the healer simply because this wasn’t Jesus’ primary purpose for His visitation among men. In fact if you read the verses before This exchange with the leper we get a clear understanding of exactly why Jesus’ came & what He felt tasked to do,” he wrote.

The post also included these words:

“Now don’t get me wrong, God can’t help but Heal, which is why Jesus continued to heal as the crowds continued to bring the sick, lame & ill,” he continued. “But what is far more important than a physical healing was a renewal of the mind. To be transformed on the inside by the word of God so that His people would trust him despite our current circumstances trials or tribulations.”

Less than two weeks later, another Movieguide article focused on more relevant quotes from the actor, related to Psalm 1; Buzolic wrote: “The Christian becomes a tree, a tree planted by the living waters of Yeshua of Nazareth,” adding, “The longer you remain by Him the deeper your roots will forge into the full knowledge & glory of the kingdom of God.”  He also stated:

“When trials come it will be these trees that will have no fear, rather becoming beacons of life, a life that chooses to cling to the saviors ways, words and commands,” he explained. “Droughts will come as judgement pours out on this wicked world, and thus tribulations will arrive to all but these trees will not worry, will not be anxious in thought because their confidence is in Adonai the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. They have recited His ways, remembered His words, seen His works and hold to every promise He proclaimed to all nations.”

There are several noteworthy principles that come to mind as I consider some of the content that Buzolic has put online recently.  For one thing, we should always make sure we believe in the healer more than the healing.  That's a subset of the overall principles of believing in the giver rather than the gift. Certainly, we rejoice when we are blessed by God, but we should always look to Him, not simply because of what He can do for us, but for who He is.

That leads to a powerful second principle: We can embrace who He is more than what He does. Certainly, we are instructed to call upon the Lord and present our requests to Him. But, our priorities are misplaced if we are concentrating more on His mighty works than enjoying a relationship with Him and abiding in His love. 

We can also be careful to worship the Creator, not the creation.  We're told that the heavens declare the glory of God. We can look and see the beauty of what He has made all around us. Unfortunately, you have those who have supplanted God and His preeminence and made creation an idol to be served and submitted to. We can care for the environment without making the environment an object of worship.

Finally, we consider who we are more than what we do for Him.  Our relationship with God is not determined by how much work we do in order to earn favor with Him - we have a right status with the Father because of Jesus, and if we are trusting in Him and allowing Him to live through us, fruit will be borne, works will be produced for His glory - but we have to be careful not to get things backward.