Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

Lantern in the hands of Jesus

Thursday, March 30, 2017

From John 5
Speaking of John, Jesus said, "He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John's ... and you do not want to come to me to have life."

Friedrich Nietzsche grew up in a strict puritan Christian home. He grew old misunderstood and a victim of mental illness. In between he wrote eloquently about politics and religion. The most forbidden topics appealed to him most of all.

Nietzsche's philosophy was autobiographical. The Gay Science, a personal book of essays, portrayed him frustrated and political in "The Parable of the Madman." Lighting a lantern at noon he ran into the marketplace and shouted, "I am looking for God!"

His listeners did not believe in God. They teased him and toyed with him. "The madman sprang into their midst and pierced them with his glances. 'Where has God gone?' he cried. "We have killed him - you and I. But how? How could we drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon?"

Just as God did for Job, the "madman" wants to challenge the minds of men who take their own existence for granted. "Do we not yet hear noise of the gravediggers burying God? Do we smell God's decomposition? God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him."

Nietzsche expanded his argument in Thus Spake Zarathustra. Our God is dead! Long live our God! But now it is "companions the creator seeks, not corpses, not herds or believers. Fellow creators, the creator seeks, and fellow harvesters, for everything about him is ripe for the harvest."

Nietzsche followed in the footsteps of Jesus, but Jesus pointed at a different god. Jesus rested, while Nietzsche worked himself to death. Jesus knew he was loved, while Nietzsche felt tortured and guilty. Jesus' Father also sought companions and fellow harvesters, but Jesus clothed himself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience - and asked us as God's companions to do the same.

Jesus invites us to join the divine dance. Nietzsche invites us to create our own dance. We killed God; "must we not ourselves become gods simply to be worthy of that great deed?"

Nietzsche's irony finally betrays him, because he fails to find humility in his guilt. Compassion and kindness cower, thrown aside in hurried arrogance. Nietzsche's wisdom is outpaced by his ambition.

I don't think this happens to Jesus.

I keep thinking of the moment when Jesus kneels down and writes in the sand while scribes and Pharisees are condemning the prostitute (John 8). What is he writing?

The story doesn't say. But it does record what Jesus says to the woman when he looks up. "Did none of them condemn you? Then neither do I."

Jesus, your words do not haunt me, they comfort me. Your dance is easy, and your touch is light. Let my mind rest with yours in quiet solstice, filled with the light you bring.

Devotions Archive

Lantern in the hands of Jesus

Thursday, March 30, 2017