June 18

God’s Family

            As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
    there they shall be called children of the living God.”

 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved; for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth quickly and decisively.” And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left survivors to us, we would have fared like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah.”

                What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith;  but Israel, who did strive for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law. Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written,

“See, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Romans 9:25-33

    

             Our kids are fairly spread out in age.  At the moment I have a 16 year old, a 13 year old and a 5 year old.  When people hear their ages they will usually have a remark.  Some will ask if the youngest one was an accident to which we will often reply, “She was not an accident.  It just took us seven years to recover from the first two.”  Some people, often those without kids, will look at us quizzically.  Others will just silently nod in understanding.

            My wife and I had agreed that if we were going to have one child, then we were going to have at least two.  Our middle child was born just before we had a diagnosis with my son.  The next three years are nothing more than a blur in my memory.  We had a newborn with a three year old autistic boy heading into the school system. I was working two jobs.  No one was sleeping.  I know that there were treatments and school and therapies and birthdays and big life events, but it is all just a cloudy haze of fatigue and desperation.  I know we made it because we are here now, but I don’t know how.

            At some point after both children were making their way through school, we decided that we would be ready for more kids.  The baby has been a tremendous addition to our family, especially for my son.  She has been someone that he could care for and teach and be a good big brother for.  She has had needs that he had to consider and emotions that he needed to figure out.  He is teaching her to read and she is teaching him to play.  He is learning how to say no and have boundaries.  They are great for each other.

            God is intent on growing His family.  His people are no longer just the Jews.  The story of Acts is the story of the Gospel spreading beyond the borders of Israel.  The Good News of God’s love and salvation are not just for the descendants of Abraham.  God’s children are from every tribe, every tongue and every nation.  The central question is now not “Who were your parents,” but “Who do you believe?” The doors are wide open for all who believe, not based on their heritage or what they have accomplished or their abilities or disabilities.  Everyone who is tired of sin and burdened by injustice and hungry for righteousness is welcome in the family of God.

            There is tension that comes with the growing of a family.  Those who have been in the family longest, the older siblings, have routines and expectations and standards that come with maturity.  The younger siblings do not have those same expectations.  They are simply excited to be in the family.  That is true in our family as the youngest pushes my son’s comfort zone on a regular basis.  That was true of the ancient church as Jews struggled to welcome in Gentiles.  That is true of the modern church as those who have grown up in the faith are pushed outside of their comfort zones by new believers.  Baby Christians don’t do things the way we expect them to be done.  They ask questions that we prefer not to answer.  They have habits that were developed before they met Jesus that make us uncomfortable and that feel in conflict with the gospel.  They are broken and needy and sometimes we just wish that they would give us our own space and go somewhere else…just like my son and his baby sister.

            This is our family.  The family of God.  He is eager to welcome in all who would believe in Him…to grow His family so that none of His beloved children would be lost.  As the older siblings we can be like the Father and welcome in the new believers or we can chase them away.  That choice will be ours for the rest of our days.  Just remember that the baby sibling is really good, if extremely uncomfortable, for the older sibling.

A moment to reflect:

How can you love and support a new believer this week?