new church life: march / april 2014
But notice what He says when He first introduces Himself to us: “I am the
Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage.” (Exodus 20: 2) He wants to release us from suffering.
We recognize, of course, that this presentation of the Lord is dramatic and
powerful, inducing fear in many people as it did the ancient Israelites. Seen
interiorly, however, we see the Lord demonstrating in dramatic fashion His
existence and power.
A deep truth about this presentation of the Lord is that it forecast His
coming into the world to complete the work of “redeeming the human race
and delivering them from hell.” (Arcana Coelestia 8864) As He released the
Israelites from bondage in Egypt, so He has the power to release us from the
destructive forces of evil that would lead us to focus exclusively on ourselves.
Our part is to obey His command: “You shall have no other gods before My
face.” (Exodus 20: 3)
As happened with the people at that time, can we capture some of the
awe that comes from recognizing our God as the omnipotent Creator of the
universe, who has the power to remove any form of spiritual oppression from
our lives? Can we seek for a mindset that holds firmly to the dictate, “All that
the Lord has spoken, we will do.” (Ibid. 24: 3, 7)
Fast forward to the second image of the Lord, this time after His
resurrection. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:
18-19)
These words appear at the very end of the Gospel of Matthew, and stand, as
it were, as the culmination of the story – the triumphant conclusion of the life
and teaching of the Lord on earth. He rose as testimony to the victory He had
won over all of hell, and as a declaration that order had been restored in His
kingdom. But what a vastly different picture we get of our Lord in this story.
He is not on top of Mt. Sinai amidst lightning, thunder and a thick black
cloud. He is not commanding fear in all that He says. Instead we receive a
picture of our loving Lord Jesus Christ, who returned to the people who were
closest to Him, to take away their fear, and inspire them for the work He had
in store for them.
So many people, when they view the New Testament, embrace the loving,
present, long-suffering images of the Lord. They are willing to heed His example
of forgiveness and devotion to the welfare of others. They can hear His voice
teaching them things they need to know to live a heaven-oriented life. They
can turn to Him in prayer with their deepest hurts and hopes, believing that
He knows all and wants to help.
The beauty of the New Church message is that it’s the same God who
appeared on Mount Sinai. By His life on earth, He re-introduced Himself to
His people, showing another slice of His many divine qualities. Interiorly, then,
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