Hi friends!
This is a story to illustrate something that I've been seeking Our Father's heart on, for awhile now, and I hope it will be helpful to you and others.
Does Anyone Have Ears?
A Parable for Today
One day some airplane mechanics and engineers were hanging out together talking after a long day of developing and improving aircraft. Suddenly, the sky flashed, and sitting there in front of them was a large object that looked like a spaceship right out of a science fiction video.
They were all so startled that, except for a few astonished, unintelligible exclamations, they were speechless.
No one could believe their eyes, and each one was afraid that he was hallucinating. No one would dare admit what they were seeing, for fear that the others were not seeing it, and would question their sanity.
Out from the ship stepped a funny looking person, with a shiny suit and helmet.
Then, Captain Johnson, a female pilot walked up, and said, “Hey, what is this, some kind of joke? Who's this in the Halloween costume, and where'd you get the flying saucer, from a movie warehouse?”
Colonel Marcos, the project commander immediately spoke up. “Captain Johnson, run, get the MP's, quick!”
She started to smile and reply, until she saw the seriousness on the colonel's face, and said, “Okay, Sir, I'll bite, since you insist, but don't think I'm falling for all this.” So she walked briskly away, off to get one of the MP's at the closest guard post.
Meanwhile, the project crew started talking about what they were beginning to believe they might be seeing. "Okay", said George, the chief engineer, "what is this? Have we been drugged or hypnotized? Is this a joke? Who's responsible for this?”
One of the mechanics started laughing, joined by a few others, followed by relieved sighs and more laughs.
Chief Bart, the head mechanic, turning toward Colonel Marcos, said, “Very funny, sir. You really had us going. This is legendary! How did you arrange all this?”
The Colonel looked at him quizzically, and said, “What?”
Bart said, “Bravo, sir! Great show! You almost had me convinced you don't know about it. But you had to be in on it. None of the rest us has the power to arrange something this big, and get away with it on a secure post like this one.”
“I didn't...” he started to say, when the guy in the spacesuit made a noise.
“Did you say something, buddy?” chimed in Major Jones.
“ I think he was trying to say something,” said Martin, one of the crew.
“Hey, Buddy, you can take that thing off now. It was a great joke, but the gigs up,” interjected Captain Joseph. “You had us for a second, there, but it's time to come clean, and show us who's under there.”
“Uh, hey guys, you might want to check this out,” interrupted Jim, an engineer. “I've never seen anything like this before. This is some piece of work.”
“What is it?” asked Dave, the flight test engineer.
“I don't know what this thing is made of. Is it metal? Plastic?”
“Maybe its some new experimental composite?” queried Dave.
Mike, the research engineer, knocking on it, scratching at it, looking bewildered, answered, “It's nothing that I've seen or heard of, and I've done the full tour of Defense, NASA, and all the contractors. If there was something like this, I'd know.”
“Then it's not ours?” inquired Captain Joseph.
“Nope.”
A sound came from the “spaceman.”
“What did he say?” questioned Major Jones.
“I think he said, 'cob,'” replied Martin.
“Cob? Sounded like, 'comb, to me.”
“Why would he say, comb?”
But while they were conversing, the rest of the team had begun bantering about the origin, materials and design, of the “spaceship,” and were discussing whether it could actually fly, and how it might work, so they joined in.
Meanwhile, Captain Johnson returned, with the MP's and tried to get the colonel's instructions, but he was deeply involved in the debate, trying to make sense of it all.
She started to say, “Colonel..,” when she saw the former occupant of the ship beckon.
“Come!” he compelled, turning to the open door of the big, shiny object of discussion.
Curious, she followed him into the cockpit. The door closed behind her, and she took the copilot seat, next to the gleaming stranger.
As he strapped himself into the chair, she, out of long habit, followed suit.
He spoke some words that she didn't quite get...
The crew outside, was amazed! Before they knew what was happening, Johnson had followed the guy in the funny suit in, and the door had shut behind him.
FLASH!!! The ship was gone, and they stared, in open-mouthed wonder, unable to take in what had happened.
Although she didn't feel any movement, Johnson knew, somehow, that they were moving. She should be alarmed, she told herself. But all she felt was a calm growing feeling that she had just started on the best adventure of her lifetime...
What's the Point?
While writing a page on Thomas Aquinas (currently awaiting being edited) for Shammah' s Christian History website, I had to write about Aquinas' "doctrine of the atonement," and how it affected John Calvin's, and his followers' teachings on the subject, since they have been a large influence on modern day teachings, among many different denominations.
Argument over this subject, has, ironically, been one of the chief points of intellectual disagreement that Satan has used to keep would-be disciples confused and divided, to the anguish of King Jesus' heart, who said to his disciples, "Here is a new commandment I give you: 'Love each another! Just like I've loved you, that's how you love each other. This is how people will know that you are my followers, that you love each other!'"
"Just like I've loved you!" King Jesus had just spent the last three years of his life demonstrating his love for them: living with them, refusing to leave them while they debated, squabbled, and while they often misconstrued and misunderstood him and his teachings, completely.
But you ask, "Hey John. What does this have to do with atonement? And especially, what in the world does it have to do with your 'parable'?"
Well, I'll tell you. The English word, "atonement" actually, literally means being together, or being "at one." No lie. Look it up online on an etymological dictionary (one that traces the origins of words). Sometimes translated as, "propitiation," or, "reconciliation," the original NT word really means, "uniting two parties as one."
The point is that what King Jesus was trying to do was unite us as one. Like all the mechanics and engineers in the above parable, there are people who are busy arguing over how "atonement," "works," and they are missing the flight of being united with King Jesus.
Why do we have to know how it works? Is it broken? If it were broken, could we fix it?
Can't we just follow Jesus where he is going, and learn along the way?
I love teachings. I love the scriptures, so much that I read them and meditate on them daily. But the goal isn't to be smart or understand the Bible, but to be at one with King Jesus and our Dad.
That means to go after Love, Himself, with everything we are, and everything we have until we are at one, in perfect unity with him. It's so we can be just like Him: loving those He and our Dad has given us to love. Not waiting until they or we are perfect, but loving now, the best we can, and watching Love grow in us.
King Jesus didn't stay long, because we are to be Him, in the earth. Not divided from The Father. Not divided from the Son. Not divided from each other. But like all the best relationships, walking at one, together in love and unity, lest we be left on the ground, astonished, while those that listen and obey fly away with Him.
