Tornado Alley
Posted in brigitte's posts, luke 22, Luke 8, peace, storms 0 comments
As most are aware, it is tornado season. There have been some terrible storms already in both Texas and Oklahoma. Towns leveled...homes destroyed...lives lost. It's tragic. People question, "Where was God? Why did he allow this to happen?"
The simple answer is that God is where He always is...everywhere. He wasn't just not paying attention or daydreaming or busy when the storms hit. He remained seated on his throne loving, caring and drawing all creation to himself. The difficult answer is that we live in a broken, fallen world where the consequences of sin had been unleashed long. Now that is another post for another day. Read Genesis for the history.
"...for the wages of sin is death." --Romans 6:23
Honestly, tornadoes freak me out. They are too unpredictable, fast forming and powerful. I come from Southeast Louisiana where we have hurricanes...predictable, slow-moving, hurricanes. I know it's coming and have time for a hurricane party with all my podna's before I get the heck out of Dodge. What fascinates me are the folks who stick around a tornado to take pictures and video. Or those loony storm chasers. What the what? You can find me hunkered down in our safe room equipped with bottled water and canned Spam (ok, maybe not the Spam. That's just gross. If I'm ever that desperate for food just use the can to club me in the head and end it.).
Both of these responses to storms are a bit extreme...the crazy and the crippled by fear.
So I'm just going to say it...What would Jesus do?
The first example from the life of Jesus that pops into mind when thinking about a storm is found in several of the Gospels -- my favorite Luke 8. Jesus and his friends, the disciples, get into a boat to sail to the other side of the lake. Midway, a terrible storm hits. Water is pouring into the boat and the disciples are scared for their lives.
What was Jesus doing?
Snoozing.
Say what?
The God of creation, Yahweh, the Messiah was asleep.
Well then he must not have cared about what happened to his dearest friends.
Wrong.
Jesus was WITH the disciples IN the storm. He didn't tell the boys to load up and send them alone into a raging storm. No, Jesus said, "let us go over to the other side of the lake." (Luke 8:22) Let US go.
Word.
The Moore tornado not only devastated a town, it claimed lives. Yet in God's mercy the death toll dropped from 51 to 24 after many more were found among the rubble. That is nothing short of a miracle, people! See, Jesus knows all about the storm coming your way. While he doesn't always choose to prevent it, he promises to sit tight and ride it out with you. Don't get me wrong... 24 lives sounds like foolishness to me. My heart breaks for these families and the towns of Cleburne, TX, and Moore, OK.
Jesus come quickly.
The second example of Jesus facing a storm is also found in the Gospels -- Luke 22 -- the Lord's supper. Follow me here. I know you are thinking, "It wasn't raining on the Passover." I'm not talking about a thunderstorm, people. I'm talking about the Son of Man being crucified to once and for all atone for the sins of the world. Remember the verse from earlier...the wages of sin is death? All of history has been leading to the very moment when Jesus would reconcile a fallen world to the Father by paying the price for our sins. He would die on a cross for us. Alone.
Yet first, he observed the Passover meal with his beloved disciples. I love the glimpse into the heart of Jesus we get in verse 22 where it says, "Jesus and his disciples reclined at the table." Really? First he was snoozing and now he is reclining? This Jesus is a pretty laid back dude. Did he know what lie just ahead of him in the night? The religious leaders would have Jesus taken prisoner, wrongly accused, mocked, beaten, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. That was going to be incredible difficult. It was going to hurt. A lot.
And yes, Jesus knew it.
Yet what was his demeanor? He reclined and enjoyed the sacred Passover knowing that he would become the ultimate Passover lamb.
Behold the Prince of Peace. Amen?
Amen!
Is there a tornado headed your way, friend? Are you hunkered down in your safe room crippled with fear and frantic? I don't blame you.
My family and I are theoretically driving right into a storm. Like I said...there is something crazy about driving into a storm. My husband will have a major surgery this summer that will effect every aspect of our life. It will be the most difficult time our family has ever had to face together. It's a whole different thing to be driving into a tornado... when you can see the beast in front you. We have run the gambit of emotions from anger to complete and utter terror.
But then there is Luke 8 and 22. We are reminded of Yahweh -- God with us. Yes, the Jesus who slept and reclined is in our boat. He's go this. And with a word, the winds die down. The waves calm. And just like Jesus promised, we will be on the other side.
man, we sure think highly of ourselves.
The simple answer is that God is where He always is...everywhere. He wasn't just not paying attention or daydreaming or busy when the storms hit. He remained seated on his throne loving, caring and drawing all creation to himself. The difficult answer is that we live in a broken, fallen world where the consequences of sin had been unleashed long. Now that is another post for another day. Read Genesis for the history.
"...for the wages of sin is death." --Romans 6:23
Honestly, tornadoes freak me out. They are too unpredictable, fast forming and powerful. I come from Southeast Louisiana where we have hurricanes...predictable, slow-moving, hurricanes. I know it's coming and have time for a hurricane party with all my podna's before I get the heck out of Dodge. What fascinates me are the folks who stick around a tornado to take pictures and video. Or those loony storm chasers. What the what? You can find me hunkered down in our safe room equipped with bottled water and canned Spam (ok, maybe not the Spam. That's just gross. If I'm ever that desperate for food just use the can to club me in the head and end it.).
Both of these responses to storms are a bit extreme...the crazy and the crippled by fear.
So I'm just going to say it...What would Jesus do?
The first example from the life of Jesus that pops into mind when thinking about a storm is found in several of the Gospels -- my favorite Luke 8. Jesus and his friends, the disciples, get into a boat to sail to the other side of the lake. Midway, a terrible storm hits. Water is pouring into the boat and the disciples are scared for their lives.
What was Jesus doing?
Snoozing.
Say what?
The God of creation, Yahweh, the Messiah was asleep.
Well then he must not have cared about what happened to his dearest friends.
Wrong.
Jesus was WITH the disciples IN the storm. He didn't tell the boys to load up and send them alone into a raging storm. No, Jesus said, "let us go over to the other side of the lake." (Luke 8:22) Let US go.
Word.
The Moore tornado not only devastated a town, it claimed lives. Yet in God's mercy the death toll dropped from 51 to 24 after many more were found among the rubble. That is nothing short of a miracle, people! See, Jesus knows all about the storm coming your way. While he doesn't always choose to prevent it, he promises to sit tight and ride it out with you. Don't get me wrong... 24 lives sounds like foolishness to me. My heart breaks for these families and the towns of Cleburne, TX, and Moore, OK.
Jesus come quickly.
The second example of Jesus facing a storm is also found in the Gospels -- Luke 22 -- the Lord's supper. Follow me here. I know you are thinking, "It wasn't raining on the Passover." I'm not talking about a thunderstorm, people. I'm talking about the Son of Man being crucified to once and for all atone for the sins of the world. Remember the verse from earlier...the wages of sin is death? All of history has been leading to the very moment when Jesus would reconcile a fallen world to the Father by paying the price for our sins. He would die on a cross for us. Alone.
Yet first, he observed the Passover meal with his beloved disciples. I love the glimpse into the heart of Jesus we get in verse 22 where it says, "Jesus and his disciples reclined at the table." Really? First he was snoozing and now he is reclining? This Jesus is a pretty laid back dude. Did he know what lie just ahead of him in the night? The religious leaders would have Jesus taken prisoner, wrongly accused, mocked, beaten, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. That was going to be incredible difficult. It was going to hurt. A lot.
And yes, Jesus knew it.
Yet what was his demeanor? He reclined and enjoyed the sacred Passover knowing that he would become the ultimate Passover lamb.
Behold the Prince of Peace. Amen?
Amen!
Is there a tornado headed your way, friend? Are you hunkered down in your safe room crippled with fear and frantic? I don't blame you.
My family and I are theoretically driving right into a storm. Like I said...there is something crazy about driving into a storm. My husband will have a major surgery this summer that will effect every aspect of our life. It will be the most difficult time our family has ever had to face together. It's a whole different thing to be driving into a tornado... when you can see the beast in front you. We have run the gambit of emotions from anger to complete and utter terror.
But then there is Luke 8 and 22. We are reminded of Yahweh -- God with us. Yes, the Jesus who slept and reclined is in our boat. He's go this. And with a word, the winds die down. The waves calm. And just like Jesus promised, we will be on the other side.
man, we sure think highly of ourselves.
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