10 January 2014 - born into a battle

10 January 2014 - born into a battle

Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Do we even have a sense that we are in a battle?  The word 'world' here is not referring to the world which God creates, loves, and for which he sends his only son.  The world here is the systemic evil that infects that creation.  It is composed of the structures of society which are hostile to the kingdom.  It is "the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens" against which we struggle.  Or at least against which we need to struggle.  Momentum is certainly on their side.  As we can see all about us, if we do nothing they increase their dominance. 

Clearly though, the enemy is out of our league.  The only way to win is by the victory of the only one who is strong enough to bind the enemy and plunder his house (cf. Mar. 3:27).  Only the victory of Jesus can destroy sin and death and the structures of the world which serve them.  We share in this victory by believing in Jesus as the Son of God.

Why is belief the condition of our victory?  By belief we surrender our claim to fight by our own strength.  By it we rely on God.  Even the very thing we believe is at the testimony of the Spirit, not because we figure it out on our own.  God "has testified on behalf of his Son" and we "have this testimony within" ourselves.  Nothing is done on our own strength.  Everything comes from God, revealed by "the Spirit, the water and the blood", from Jesus, human and divine and the life he offers the Father for our sakes.  John points out that the Precious Blood is essential here.  We don't just believe in the divine one who walks among us, revealed by the Father in his baptism.  We believe this, yes, but not apart from the Cross which gives meaning to his coming.  The Spirit holds these two seemingly opposed poles together within our hearts.

The leper knows that Jesus is this victory of God enfleshed.  But he is not confident that it has anything to do with him.  He gets the water, but doubts what the blood implies.  He is not yet convinced of the love which God has for him.

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”

The leper must let the Spirit testify in his heart that God does indeed love him.  He hears this testimony spoken aloud by the Savior:

“I do will it. Be made clean.”
And the leprosy left him immediately.

Jesus cares even about the physical well being of outcasts whom the world, the flesh, and the devil oppress.  His Precious Blood is the ultimate revelation of this love.  The leper is privileged to taste it in advance.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.