Today in the Mission Yearbook - God is good

Good, yes — but God is definitely not safe

April 1, 2020

(No photo credit)

Several months ago, I purchased a used copy of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. Bargain hunter that I am, I was thrilled, as it was only $3.50. It is my favorite of the “Chronicles of Narnia” series, and this version contains lovely color illustrations.

I first read the book as a child and immediately connected to the story and the characters. When reading it, I felt as if I were reconnecting with old friends. Once again, I read voraciously about the four Pevensie children — stalwart Peter, resourceful Susan, troubled Edmund and kind-hearted Lucy.

The power of Old Magic draws the children within the parallel universe of Narnia after they enter the doors of a magical wardrobe. They learn about the evil White Witch who holds Narnia in perpetual winter, and about Aslan, its creator and emancipator. Aslan is on the move to free Narnia, and the courageous Mr. Beaver explains that Aslan is a giant lion, not to be trifled with:

“Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

 “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

This scene came to mind when listening to passages read from Revelation a few Sundays ago. After the lectionary reader finished reading about the throne room scene in Chapter 4, my son leaned over and whispered, “What creatures was she talking about?”  I opened the pew Bible and pointed to the beginning of the chapter and watched as he read it silently.

“Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside.” (Rev. 4:6b–8a)

He looked up, his eyes wide.  “Wow.  Those guys sound scary.  All those eyes and wings.”

I nodded grimly.  “Yes, they do … God is scary,” I added.

Nevertheless, while Aslan is kind and gentle, the other creatures of Narnia — even the White Queen — fear him. Thinking she has finally won when Aslan offers his own life to her in the place of Edmund, Aslan claims the ultimate victory over death.  Winter is banished, and the hope of spring and peace returns to the land. The story draws unmistakable parallels to that of Jesus and the resurrection. It’s the first book I remember crying about while reading.

Dr. Rebecca Lister

As a child in church, I knew that God was good. But the image of a giant lion who is simultaneously good and terrifying resonated with me.  On an intellectual level, I understood that Jesus died “as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Reading this book reminded me why. Just as Aslan gave his life for the undeserving Edmund, Jesus traded his perfect life for our unworthy lives.

I now understand that I myself am Edmund. This realization still moves me when re-reading this book 40 years later. It is a powerful thing to see oneself in a story and to be changed by it forever.  I remain in awe of Aslan — God — and am humbled by his movement in my life.

Most of us prefer to envision God as loving and forgiving, the one who searches for the lost sheep, the one who waits with outstretched arms for his prodigal son, the one Jesus calls “Daddy” in the Lord’s Prayer. This is true. Yet, God is so utterly beyond our tiny minds’ understanding that we try reducing him to a “buddy” or a “pal.” Doing so calms our fear, but simultaneously negates God’s true nature of utter holiness and righteousness.

“God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger — according to the way you react to it. And we have reacted the wrong way.” (C. S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”)

God is scary, and God is definitely not safe. We are wise to remind ourselves whom we serve — a loving yet terrible and mighty King, the Lion of Judah.

This piece first appeared on May 29, 2019, on the Presbyterians Today blog. The writer, Rebecca Lister, is an associate professor of music at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania.

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Yesenia Ayala, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Janelle Baker, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray:

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Genealogies can reveal unexpected forebears

Jesus’ bloodline features some remarkable women

March 19, 2020

Dr. Rebecca Lister

Do you ever get irritated when reading genealogies in the Bible? All that “so-and-so begat so-and-so…”. Yet, genealogies hold deep meaning for us if we consider them closely. This is especially true for the genealogy in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew’s primary goal is to demonstrate that Jesus is a descendant of both Abraham and David. When breezing through the rest of the list, though, a trend emerges: there are women’s names. Usually, genealogies focus solely on the male line, but not in this case. Even more puzzling is that three of the five women have somewhat shady pasts as recounted in the Old Testament. Why then do these women appear in a genealogy that supposedly defines the purity of Jesus’ messianic lineage? What is special about each, and what does her story reveal to us today?

First is Tamar. Tamar has the dubious distinction of tricking her father-in-law, Judah, into sleeping with her. Second and third are Rahab and Ruth. Rahab was the Canaanite prostitute who harbored Joshua’s spies and eventually helped bring about Jericho’s downfall. The Book of Ruth is an inspirational story about a loyal young widow who finds love again with a wealthy relative, Boaz. Next up in Matthew’s genealogy is Solomon’s mother and David’s infamous wife, Bathsheba. The verse does not state her name overtly, but mentions she “had been the wife of Uriah” (Matt. 1:6). The final female Matthew mentions in the genealogy is Mary, “of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ” (Matt. 1:14). All  five were pivotal characters who triumphed in the biblical narrative despite living in a male-dominated world.

After her husband dies, Tamar disguises herself as a temple prostitute and sleeps with Judah. She knows the only way she can force her father-in-law to honor his familial duties is to bear him a child.

Though some storytellers through the centuries have portrayed Bathsheba as a woman of questionable character, it is clear that she had little or no choice in her situation. It is David who commands Bathsheba to come to him, and it is David who orders Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to the front lines to be killed. No one refused a king — especially David — anything. Bathsheba’s first son with David dies, but her second son, Solomon, becomes one of the most famous kings in the Bible.

Rahab and Ruth were additionally disadvantaged because they were both foreigners. Rahab was a Canaanite, and Ruth was a Moabite. The Israelites had strained relations with both of these ethnic groups due to years of warring and in-fighting in the region. Strict purification laws prevented Jews from having any sort of close personal relationship with foreigners, much less inter-marrying with them. Despite this, both Ruth and Rahab long to become part of God’s people, the people of YHWH. Ruth refuses to leave the side of her grieving mother-in-law, Naomi.

The death and loss Ruth and Naomi faced together formed an unbreakable bond, and by the end of the story, God transforms their numbing tragedy into hope — the hope of love with Boaz, and a baby.

Rahab, too, recognizes God’s power and casts her lot with the Israelite spies she agrees to protect.

Rahab knows deep within her that the Lord will win Jericho. She bargains for her own life and those of her family members and is guaranteed safe passage. Eventually, Rahab marries into the tribe of Judah, has a son named Boaz, and becomes Ruth’s new mother-in-law.

All five of the women listed in Matthew’s genealogy were strong women who, despite being at the mercy of the men in their lives, secured their status and the Davidic line. Some feminists decry the fact that, in ancient Jewish society, these five special women had no other value than the ability to bear children. This may certainly be true, yet without them, God’s rescue plan for us would never have come to pass. Jesus would never have existed. Men may have thought they controlled the world, but ultimately, it was the “yes” of a woman — Mary — that allows us to call ourselves Christians today. 

Rebecca Lister, associate professor of music at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania; Presbyterians Today Blog

Let us join in prayer for:   

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Philip Woods, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Deb Worland, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)

Let us pray:

Loving God, thank you for the perseverance and persistence of these women in the Bible. Shine your face upon all of us so your love will light our path. Amen.