Friday, June 29, 2012

The Model Referee

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God!"
Matthew 5:9

Ever get in the middle of a fight?

Of course you have.  Two combatants on either side, and you right in the middle.  Your arms are outstretched with each hand carefully placed on each combatants chest in hopes of keeping them apart.  You keep them apart because you care for both of them.

Also, you know that one would probably kill the other!


The two fighters are angry with each other and even though they are separated apart they start swinging.  Trouble is - because of their distance the only thing their fists connect with - is the one in the middle!  The one in the middle receives the punishment that each side wants to inflict on each other.

Now, a fistfight can last from five to ten minutes - perhaps, with a couple of die-hards - fifteen to twenty minutes.  It all depends on the energy released by the two opposing parties.  Whatever the duration, it seems like an eternity to the one in the middle, using all of his energy to keep them apart.

What usually happens next is truly a phenomenon.  Both parties tire after expelling all that energy, look at each other, huffing and puffing, and say to each other, "Had enough?"

Usually, both of them agree - "Yeah!" - shaking their heads with a nod.  Then, shaking hands, they'll mutter something like, "Let's go get a drink," and off they go like new found bosom buddies.


But, what of the one in the middle?  He is the one battered, bruised, and bloodied.  He's the one that looks like the cat just dragged him in.  No matter - his mission is complete.  It has been accomplished.  Peace is restored and the two combatants have been reconciled.

God and man were at each other.  They needed reconciliation.  Jesus stepped right in the middle of our fight with God.  We swing wildly at God with our disobedience, our sin.  God was poised to deliver the one lethal blow.  Jesus got right in the middle of us with his outstretched arms and kept us and God apart, absorbing the blows from both sides for what must have seemed like an eternity on that Friday.  For six hours the fight lasted - on the cross - with Jesus never dropping his arms.  Jesus is the One who got battered, bruised, and bloodied.


What did we get?

Reconciliation and an invitation to supper in Heaven, walking away eternally reconciled to God.

"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.  Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed us to the Word of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as through God were making an appeal through us, we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
2 Corinthians 5:18-21

As a Christian, do you ever wonder why you seem to be in the middle of every skirmish?  At work?  At home?  At church?

If Christ is in you, you can't help being in the middle.  You have been placed there - by Him!  Jesus is called the Son of God, by being in the middle for us.  We are called sons of God, by being in the middle for Him!

Yean, you get battered, bruised, and bloodied - but you get called by an even better name!

How do you read?  What do you think?


Sharing The Model Referee this week with:
Faith Filled Fridays at Beholding Glory

4 comments:

  1. I'm in a 'fight' right now...good reminder that He's in the middle...the advocate...the mediator...the One who brings absolute victory.

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  2. I am so often in the middle and I've always hated that position. Now you've shared a different angle of the middle position. I'll be looking at it with more respect from here on out. I'm so thankful I stopped by your corner of the blog world today, Ed.

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  3. Another great illustration of what God has done for us. You have very thoughtful posts. Blessings.

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  4. What an interesting post. So happy for Jesus being in the middle of our fight. Wow, how encouraging. Thank you for sharing this insight.
    Blessings,
    Charlotte

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I welcome your comments and conversation as we enter into His Story together!

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