Day 11: Needy
Matthew 18:2-4 [Jesus] called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
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Mary and Jesus. Mother and Son. Jesus is the first child of Mary. And Mary is only mother Jesus will have.
Jesus will often refer to God as a “Heavenly Father” and state that “the Father and the Son are one”. Sorry Joseph, but Jesus already has the position of father filled. But mother, mother will be a unique role in Jesus’ life.
The first ministry of the Messiah was to display God’s goodness to his mother. It is God’s plan for Jesus to be the Savior of the World. He will preach to thousands. But Jesus starts small. His first audience is His mother. She hears His first words. His little eyes light up when His mother claps her hands in wonder at His first steps. He spends many more years with his family than He does publicly performing miracles. The King of All Creation first takes time to be part of a family and to be a brother and a son.
What does this relationship show us about God’s nature? Dependency is good. Need is good.
God chooses to need people.
He chooses to depend on people. Jesus needs His mother. She, like any good mother, nurses him, and clothes him and protects Him in His infancy. The God of everything chose to need a mother. For a brief season of time, the incarnation of God absolutely needs the help of a human to survive.
In this relationship God finds another way to reverse the curse of sin. In the beginning, Eve, the first woman studies the forbidden fruit. She’s promised that if she eats it she will be like God. Equal with God. Not needing God. And God’s response to mankind’s pride is to send a Savior in such a humble state He needs a mother.
I have a three and a half-year-old daughter. She’s pretty independent to say the least. She revels in the word “No”. The phrase “I can do it all by myself!” (with a mandatory exclamation mark) is worn by her like a shiny gold badge. But when she’s feeling lonely, she stretches her arms toward us and wiggles her hands and says, “I need you, I need you.” How astonishing it must have been for Mary to hear these words from the Son of God: “I need you”.
Yet, God is still speaking those words. God is choosing to need you. He is showing you vulnerability because He is offering you a relationship with Him where you have the very real chance to love Him in return. And to meet His needs. It is often through the needs of those God leads into our path that we have the chance to love Him. So in this season, be mindful when someone asks something of you it may be God saying, "I need you."
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Copyright All images & writing © 2018 Charis Seed Photography