We’ve been talking about the answers God gives to our prayers. This is a bit of a longer blog series, so to help orient you to where we are so far, here’s a little map!
Answers God Gives (series map):
3. Slow
4. ***
Concluding Thoughts
(You can click on the links above to refresh your memory on anything we've already discussed.)
So far, we’ve talked about when God says “yes”, including an important caution about our attitude towards getting what we want. We’ve also talked about “no” as a valid answer to our prayers. In some cases, He might say “slow” to us. In order words, “Yes, you’re free to proceed, but go slowly.” There are several possible reasons for this; we've examined the nuances of three. Today we’re going to examine one last common answer God gives.
4. "Grow."
Japan is a country where the historical master/apprentice relationship has defined whole lives, for generations. A person isn't considered a true master until the master under whom he has apprenticed has passed away. This means that a person may be an apprentice for 40 or 50 years, but not truly become a master until the age of 70!
How well I remember a guest speaker who once came to our church in Japan. He spoke in English, with his words translated by an interpreter.
Now in his 60's, he related a story of how he had wanted to come and speak at a conference in Japan when he was in his 40's. The conference administrators interviewed him. When their discussion was done, they shared their conclusion with him: he was too young to come. He needed time to grow before engaging in this.
In his 50's, he approached the conference again. Again they interviewed him. At the end, their conclusion was the same: he was too young.
Now, in his 60's, he had finally been allowed to come.
As the speaker related this story, his frustration and incredulousness were on clear display. To a Japanese person, the nuance was that he was openly criticizing the Japanese culture and value system from the pulpit. He didn't understand the value the Japanese place on patience and maturity. His inability to grasp these fundamental concepts was laid bare, and we were embarrassed for him.
At the end of his story, I turned to Peter and said, "He's still too young."
We may need time for our hearts to change or mature before the fulness of God's plans can come to pass. Sometimes, growing may have less to do with maturity, and more to do with equipping. We may need time to encounter experiences that will prepare us for the next steps that He has laid before us. If we rush things, we may be ill-equipped to deal with the nuanced situations that lie in our future.
Without additional time, our reactions may be off. We may not be primed to respond in the way that will be most useful. Or, we may not yet have encountered all of the victories and pains that will enable us to come alongside another person with grace and understanding.
Even Jesus had to go through an extensive and painful equipping process before God deemed Him ready to step into His role as high priest and intercessor on our behalf:
Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
(Hebrews 5:8-10)
That phrase, "having been made perfect" has caused many Christians to do a double take. Wasn't Jesus already perfect, without sin, before suffering and dying on the cross?
We can find an aid to our understanding within the dictionary. When we think about the concept of "perfect" in relation to Jesus, we usually default to the definition that says "entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings." [1] In other words, without sin.
But there is another definition of "perfect" which applies in this case: "exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose." [1] The idea here is less about being without flaws and more about being the perfect tool for a job. I could buy a brand new flawless (“perfect”) saw from the hardware store. But it would not be "perfect" for the task of nailing something into a piece of wood.
In the same way, before His suffering and death on the cross, Jesus was not perfect for the task of being our High Priest. The Bible explains it this way:
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Hebrews 4:15-16)
The fact that Jesus went through the excruciating process of becoming perfected for the role He was to adopt means that we can approach our relationship with Him with a level of confidence in His mercy and grace that we would otherwise not have. Praise be to God for His wisdom and patience in not short-circuiting the process of His own perfecting!
May we do the same.
Next time, we’ll wrap up with some concluding thoughts, and an example from our own lives of how all of these answers can fit together.
NOTES
[1] "Perfect." Dictionary.com. Accessed 22 October 2024. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/perfect.
