The Moravian Slaves, a popular story about Christian Missions concerning Johann Leonhard Dober and David Nitschmann, describes how these two young Moravian Brethren from Herrnhut, Germany, were called in 1732 to minister to the African slaves on the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix in the Danish West Indies. When they were told that they would not be allowed to do such a thing, Dober and Nitschmann sold themselves to a slave owner and boarded a ship bound for the West Indies. As the ship pulled away from the docks, it is said that they called out to their loved ones on shore, “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!”
Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” … Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” … And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
~ John, The Beloved Disciple, in Revelation 5
Oh beloved, it is true.
We serve a G_d who is truly needless. He Himself is the Source of relationship itself. His Triune Self set the stage for the basis of reality. In the technical language of Theology proper, this is called the ‘Aseity’ of G_d. He is complete in and of Himself. But, the beauty of this enormously weighty concept, is that it gives us an insight to everything else about our Creator.
He has no motive for what He does. He does what He does, because it is Who He is. He does not react. He Is Who He Is. And that should give us oceans of Hope!
Huh? Hold on. We are getting there.
Watch the panoply of Scripture as it unfolds. G_d has been in the business of Loving us unconditionally from the beginning (and even before the beginning). The Old Testament uses an amazing Hebrew word, “chesed,” to describe this. And, in the New Testament, this kind of Love is called ‘Agape.’
One does not have to be a Bible scholar to understand the true meaning of both of these words. Both terms are one-directional. They are packed with a range of ways that G_d operates.
Can we see it?
Unconditional
Merciful
Compassionate
Unending
Covenant
Love.
When we begin to see that G_d simply Loves us, and wills our good, we begin to see why Jesus came to earth, submitted to our darkness and sin, and then, swallowed it whole. It was in this terrible tragedy that the infinite Love of our Creator and Saviour brought us down through our death and pulled us up into His very family – forever. Said more simply: The Trinity had a dream, and Jesus made it come true. They are so overflowing in the joy of Their Presence in Each Other, that G_d chose the only thing that makes any sense to a Being, Who is only and always Love.
But, where does that leave us? Surely it puts us in a very good position. But, it does much more. It drives us to move out in Love for other people, and share this incredible news.
But, it goes even deeper.
This same Jesus, Who saved us through His Love, rightly becomes The Object of our affections, the target of our worship, and the Love of our life. He becomes worthy of our entire life, and our Love. We do, simply for the Love of The One Who Loved us first, realize that the only reasonable response to this Love is to join Him in His dream for mankind.
This is what the Moravians meant by their cry as they left home, and walked into slavery, in order to reach others with the Good News of G_d’s Love. They understand the great reward we already have in Him through His Life, Death and the Resurrection. And in coming to understand this incredible reward we have from Him, we want nothing other than to give it back to Him with every fiber of our being!
So, are are you missing the vision for your life? You will find it, when you allow your Creator to show you, by the example of His Life and by the amazing dream He has for you.
Tonight is your night. Time to fall in Love with Jesus, that you might see just how worthy He is to receive our praise.
Ten thousand times ten thousand in sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints throng up the steeps of light;
‘Tis finished, all is finished, their fight with death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates, and let the victors in.
What rush of alleluias fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation and all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes a thousandfold repaid!
O then what raptured greetings on Canaan’s happy shore;
What meeting there of parted friends where partings are no more!
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle, that brimmed with tears of late;
Orphans no longer fatherless, nor widows desolate.
Bring near Thy great salvation, Thou Lamb for sinners slain;
Fill up the roll of Thine elect, then take Thy power, and reign;
Appear, Desire of nations, Thine exiles long for home;
Show in the heaven Thy promised sign; Thou Prince and Savior, come.
~Henry Alford, 1867
