Lamb or Lion?

A number of years ago I caught a snippet of a radio broadcast during the Christmas season.  It was a dramatic re-telling of the Christmas story from the viewpoint of Herod.  I heard the Herod character say (my paraphrase), “HA!  You look at the scene and worship the sweet Lamb in the manger!  Well, He is no lamb; He is a lion!  And he wanted my throne!”  That scenario has stayed with me, so I wanted to add this thought about Herod.

If we are all honest, Herod’s problem is our problem, too.  Indeed Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world to pay for my sin, but He is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  Yes, He truly does want the throne of my heart.  As we continue to read the Gospels we’ll see how the Jews were looking for this King to deliver them from Roman oppression and make them a great nation once again.  But Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”  His kingdom then and now is a kingdom of the heart. 

I don’t like that.  I want Him to deliver me from all my oppressions now and make me great and victorious, and give me everything that I want.  I often forget that God the Son has reconciled me to God the Father, and as all good fathers do, God lovingly and relentlessly disciplines me:

“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;  for whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected [us], and we paid [them] respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened [us] as seemed [best] to them, but He for [our] profit, that [we] may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5-11 NKJV)

Ouch!  I don’t like that verse.  It’s politically incorrect.  Scourge!  No, way!  God doesn’t scourge His precious children, does He!?!  I can honestly say, I know of no time that God has ever laid anyone over His knee and paddled him.  But I do know of thousands of saints who have walked through trials and tribulations.  Were they sinning to bring the chastening of God upon them?  Well, I don’t know what was in their hearts, but I do know that as a parent, I brought loving boundaries around my children to build their character and teach them responsibility.  Chores, the rigors of homeschooling, and denial of certain activities feel painful at times.  But how many of us will glory in the often painful drills of sports training because we know that the result will be victory and satisfaction?

So, rather than rebuke my trials and whine about my frustrations, I will choose rather to endure hardship as a soldier in training (2 Timothy 2:3) knowing that my Heavenly Father is working to make me more like Him.  Avoiding trials, dismissing them as attacks from the enemy, and viewing the “perfect life” as supposedly evidence of God’s blessing may identify me as an illegitimate child rather than one whose salvation is bought by the Lamb who left glory, suffered, and died to purchase my pardon from God.

So, Lion of Judah, do Your purifying work to take me off my throne.  Train me and teach me to submit to your correction so that I may yield your peaceable fruit of righteousness.

Next:   Matthew 2:19-23