The Kingdom of heaven is like a man dancing in a rain storm. A multitude in expensive business suits in a busy urban city is caught in a rain storm. Drenched and miserable, they cry out, groan, and run to shelter. The multitude crowds together, lining up beneath a narrow awning along the sidewalk.
Suddenly, all eyes turn to one man dancing in the rain. He moves to the beat of the thunder and strikes his limbs with the lightening. When he discovers he has the typically crowded street all to himself, he stretches out his arms, raises his head to the sky, and swirls through the street, beaming in delight. He calls to the heavens to further baptize him. Bullets of hail hammer down, and he dances with increased fervor.
All in drenched business suits stare, laugh, scoff and gossip. Their scoffing pleases him: it proves he is not of this world. Though he must wait for his true home, he knows that even here, he has been given a street to himself, where he can dance in the rain.
A woman went away on a journey to the land of her birth, witnessed a remarkable sight in the heavens, returned to the town where she had been living, and asked her friends to join her on the road to the Land of Awe. But they chose to stay, so she went alone.
On the road, she was attacked by the enemies of the Land to which she was heading, and they left her half-dead. When she cried to her friends to help her, they wondered what neurotic impulse had come over her and encouraged her to see a psychologist. “Can you at least look at my wounds to confirm they are real?” she pleaded, but they passed on. Her family reminded her of how much they had done for her in her absence and went back to town-life. She called out to her pastor who believed neither that she had been attacked, nor that she needed prayer, but to appease her, he sighed out a quick prayer. She called out to the leader of another church, who rebuked her for her sins and gave her a repentance prayer to pray. She called to a third pastoral friend who told her her fate had been determined and left her. She wrote to the people she met from her journey, and they replied they love her, were praying for her, and were wishing her goodbye. She contacted the leader of her journey, who commanded her to never have any further contact with anyone related to her journey ever again.
Finally, divine healing arrived. To the great delight of her young children, who saw them with their own eyes, four angels from the Land to which the woman was heading arrived to minister to her.
Some see their misery and put their first foot in the kingdom and they think their straddling of two worlds is the natural one this side of heaven Few cling to Christ crying for his divine arm to draw their second foot into the kingdom so they may join the prophets and walk with God
“And Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.
Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth.”
(Gen. 7:5-6)
Jacob wrestling with God:
“Then Jacob was left alone,
and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
And when he saw that he had not prevailed against him,
he touched the socket of his thigh;
so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated
while he wrestled with him. . . .
‘Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel;
for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”
(Gen 32:24-28)
Abraham wrestling with God:
“Far be it from Thee to do such a thing,
to slay the righteous with the wicked,
so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike.
Far be it from Thee!
Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”
(Gen. 18:25)
Moses wrestling with God:
“Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said,
‘O Lord, why doth Thine anger burn against Thy people
whom Thou hast brought out from the land of Egypt
with great power and with a mighty hand? . . .
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel . . .
So the Lord changed His mind about the harm
which He said He would do to His people.”
(Ex. 32:11-14)
Which takes more courage: to obey God or to wrestle with Him?
Which best demonstrates that we love God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength?
Which best demonstrates that we love our neighbor?
Which takes more love? Which takes more compassion?
Once we have demonstrated our capacity to obey, perhaps God tests our love for Him and for our neighbor by appearing to command the opposite of His character. If we truly love Him, will we not “wrestle” with Him and call upon Him to live into His merciful promises? Such an act takes great courage. Consider the courage of Abraham: “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes” (Gen 18:27); and again, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak” (v. 30); and yet again, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once” (v. 32).
Given the courage it takes to wrestle with God, we must trust passionately in His mercy, His love, and His promises. Only with deep trust in the character of God can we put on the boldness to face the Lord. This boldness demonstrates our love for Him -- His true self – and His promises. When we come out boldly and wrestle with God, we pass a test. We demonstrate our love for that which God most loves.
And if we “obey” rather than “wrestle” when the Lord “commands” us into an act contrary to His character?
He “saves” us, but we may end our life here on earth drunk and naked:
Noah, toward the end of his life:
“And he drank of the wine and became drunk,
and uncovered himself inside his tent.”
(Gen 9:21)
Having learned obedience, may we now enter into the heart of God and show our willingness to wrestle with Him.
The Kingdom of heaven is like a woman who finds a treasure in a field. Before recovering it herself, she decides to return to tell her friends, so they can dig it up together. But when she tells them about the treasure, they all think she’s crazy and refuse to accompany her. She tries friend after friend and pastor after pastor, but they all profess she is crazy.
Their reactions really do make her crazy, so she releases her frustrations and cries out in desperation. In their eyes, her cries only prove they are right, so they decide to protect her by locking her up. Now she cannot even return to the field on her own.
The woman prays to the Father to send someone to free her so she can return to the treasure. But He answers her prayer differently than she anticipates. He sends books and maps to her. According to the books, others had found the same treasure! And according to the maps, it's right where she had found it! And the books even reveal that others had been called crazy too. She's right! It's true! The woman’s heart soars with joy. Now if only someone will come free her so she can return for the treasure.
In time, the Father hears the woman’s prayer and sends the King himself. The King arrives disguised. Some who have been claiming to follow him do not recognize him, but the woman does. In secret, the King opens her prison, sets her free, and personally escorts her back to the field for her treasure.
Along the way, he proposes to her in marriage, whispers secrets to her, warns her of trouble, promises to walk with her in it, and assures her of surprising blessings. Then he helps her uncover her treasure, and the two of them carry it back to her “prison.” When they arrive, the woman is astonished to discover the King has transformed her “prison” into a beautiful Garden. “To everyone else, this Garden still appears like a prison,” He whispers to her. “Rest and hide here until the time of your assignment has arrived,” He whispers with a smile and a wink. In thanksgiving and praise, she smiles, nods and returns His wink.
