It is the Lord!

"Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!'" John 20:28.

To put Thomas' exclamation in context: The disciples were together in a locked room after Jesus' crucifixion. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Only Thomas wasn't there the first time and did not believe the others. In fact, he said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later, the scene was repeated, but this time Thomas was present, and Jesus invited him "to reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." And Thomas proclaimed his belief: "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus responded: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Was that a reproof? I'm not sure. In any case, Jesus was speaking of us, was he not? We cannot put our fingers where the nails were or put our hands in his side. We cannot touch him at all or see him with our physical eyes or hear him with our physical ears. For us, this faith is not based on any sensory experience of him at all. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see," Hebrews 11:1. Jesus called us "blessed."

Oswald refers to two other passages in today's short reading. "Give Me to drink" comes from the passage where Jesus is sitting by the well and asks the Samaritan woman who approaches for a drink. The other comes from the first chapter of Acts when Jesus tells the disciples that they will be witnesses unto him.

All of which to say that Oswald's take on these passages left me troubled and confused: What is the basis for Oswald's declaration that we should not be "drawing on Him to satisfy us"? Can we really pour out without drinking in? What would Oswald think of John Piper's assertion that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him? I hate the idea of being "drunk to the dregs." To me, that implies a burned-out, used-up martyr operating on her own strength rather than God's. Afterall, Christ tells the Samaritan woman, "If you knew who I was, you would ask me for a drink, and I would give you living water." I am clear on Oswald's point that service can compete with devotion, that service can meet our needs for performance and accomplishment quite apart from a love for God, but where is the danger in drawing on him to satisfy us? I would say the danger lies in quite the opposite direction.

I am further troubled by the fact that I did not start this journey with the intention of arguing with Oswald on every point. I entitled the blog "Following Oswald" because I see him as a mentor, and I envisioned myself sitting at his feet for instruction. However, I am rediscovering a truth I think I have always known about myself: I do not accept instruction easily. I have to wrestle things through until they make sense to me, and sometimes that means asking a hundred questions. In my defense , I will say this: I believe Oswald would have the answers to my questions, and perhaps one day -- if theological discussions of this sort are still relevant then -- I'll share a cuppa with him and pose them.

As always, comments are more than welcome.

Barbara