Does Jesus Cry Over Spilled Milk?

He wept over distresses which He intended to relieve.  -John Newton

On hot evenings little boys really need a cold drink.  After an intense day of playing I took my son out for a late night Chicken McNugget Happy Meal with a nice cold chocolate milk.  Poor little guy was so parched that on this occasion he was more passionate about the milk than his super cool toy. 

He got two sips. 

As we began our journey back home I heard a distraught little boy in the back seat.  He had set his milk next to his leg and began reaching into his jolly bag of goodness to retrieve a Nugget (or more likely to marvel at his new toy).  Something happened in the transition and the milk found itself on the floor.  Yes, my son was crying over spilt milk. 

I felt for the little guy but at the same time I’m old enough to remember the adage of “don’t cry over spilled milk”.  So I repeated a sentence that I have said numerous times, “Come on buddy, don’t cry—daddy is going to fix it.” 

I knew I could get some milk at home.  Or if things get to desperate we could easily go back to McDonalds since we only live a couple minutes away.  Super-Dad can fix this one.  But apparently not fast enough.  Saying “wait for my rescue” just doesn’t seem to cut it as a broken-hearted little boy stares at a puddle of milk that should be in his tummy instead of staining the floor of mommy and daddy’s van. 

I’m beginning to understand why those words don’t always cut it.  Sometimes—even if its really silly—our pain is so intense that all we can really do is cry until mourning has its healing effect.  Sometimes tears heal what words can’t. 

As the above words from John Newton evince Jesus modeled this perfectly.  Just as I intended to clean up the milk and replace it with new so also Jesus intends to wipe away every tear from our eye and conquer or brokenness with his redemption.  Yet he even though he knows good and well that these tears are only temporary Jesus joins in them anyway.  And they aren’t fake these tears of Jesus.  They are motivated by really feeling the sorrow of another. 

Yes, Jesus will preach redemption and exhort us to hope.  He will tell us “I’m making all things new” and count on us to believe in him.  We aren’t to mourn as those who have no hope and Jesus will at times remind us of this.  Yet I’m convinced that these exhortations are not accompanied with a disinterested half-smile but instead with cheeks soaked in tears that have miraculously entered fully into the experience of humanity. 

So would Jesus cry over spilled milk? 

Though he is in the business of changing our affections and our cares and transforming our worries so that they reflect far greater things than spilled milk, I am of the opinion that when my little boy agonizes over spilled milk that Jesus enters into his pain. 

Some day, Isaiah, we will live in a world where milk will never spill.  Or even if for some reason it did we would probably laugh because we aren’t desperately parched.  Some day we will live in a world where we never hunger or thirst and our every longing is fulfilled in Jesus.  But we don’t live there yet.  In the mean time I want you to know that Jesus weeps with you when you spill your milk.  But don’t forget as we all cry together that redemption is coming! 

Today in Blogworld 7.12.12

Keeping Intimate Details Intimate

I really appreciate Tim Challies’ words here on keeping sexual details private.  Using two imaginary people, Rob and Kelly, to tell a story Challies concludes: “What is not relevant to this discussion is how often other couples are having sexual relations. The moment Rob and Kelly turn to statistics, they begin to compare themselves with other people in other life stages and other circumstances. They are no longer looking primarily to one another, no longer seeking to serve one another in love, no longer appealing to the Holy Spirit to sanctify them and to increase his fruit in their lives.”

The Expository Genius of John Calvin only .99

This is a good book.  You can check out my review here.  Then purchase it for only 99 cents on your e-reader. 

Baseball Cards Found in Ohio Attic Might Fetch Millions

I always thought this story would be about me after going through my grandfather’s sock drawer.  Maybe someday.  This guy found sixteen Ty Cobb cards with the highest grade ever.  Not to mention a mint condition Honus Wagner.  Phenomenal. 

How “Let Go and Let God” Almost Ruined J.I. Packer

I’ve heard this story before from Packer but it’s worth reading again and again.  Keswick theology and it’s muddy mysticism is dangerous.  I pray that the Lord rescues many from its clutches. 

Rambo the Musical:

(HT: Thinklings)

More Sweet E-Book Deals

Last week I gave a few good book deals to fill your e-readers.  There are a few more quality e-book deals out there this week that I want to share with you.

I just bought this one myself today and haven’t had a chance to look at it.  Eric Geiger (who co-wrote Simple Church) writes Identity to help them discover who they really are in Christ. 

only $2.99

Awhile back our church went through Compelled by Love a bible study with Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation.  If Compelled is anything similar it will help inspire believers to live missionally:

only $2.99

I read and reviewed Practicing Affirmation awhile back.  I loved the book.  I’m happy that it’s now available

for only $3.03

One of my favorite books of 2011 was David Murray’s Christians Get Depressed Too.  As I noted in my review I think this is one of the most helpful books for those battling depression. 

Available now for only $2.99

This little 102 page book just looks interesting.  Timothy Williams Gossip and the Gospel is available for

only .99

Greasy Chickens & Lessons in Waiting

I have a confession to make.  Sometimes I hope that Chick-Fil-A gets my order out to me really slowly and botch their service.  Why?  Because I know if they do then I’ll get a card that entitles me to free awesomeness in the form of a Chick-fil-a sandwich.  They screw up and I get rewarded.  So, sometimes I secretly hope they jack something up.  I won’t complain.  I won’t even look disappointed.  I’ll just humbly hold out my hand and allow them to appease me with a free sandwich. 

I’m not always that giddy about waiting though.  A few weeks ago I was waiting for about 10 minutes in the McDonalds parking lot.  They had told me to pull up so they could give me my “Chicken” McNuggets.  But when car after car went around me I knew something had went awry.  Perhaps they had ran out of faux-chickens to massacre.  I went inside and waited another 5 minutes and finally got my food.  All I received in return for my trouble was the bag that I paid for and a weak “sorry” from an inconvenienced cashier. 

Of course I handled all of this in a Christ-like manner.  By that of course I mean that I started turning over tables and calling them a brood of vipers.  Actually, outwardly I did nothing except for complain to the guy next to me about how weak McDonalds is compared to Chick-Fil-A.  I felt that I deserved at least a free ice-cream cone, a happy-meal toy, or even a couple fries.  But I received nothing and that really bothered me about having to wait so long with no reward. 

Then today as I shamefully pull up to the McDonalds window the lady tells me pull forward—as is becoming almost customary at this Mickey D’s—but this time she hands me a card for a FREE Big Mac or McMuffin.  Way to move up in the world, McDonalds!  This time I find myself waiting with joy and next time I’m sure I’ll hope they blow their 30 second mark and I get another free sandwich which I can sell on Ebay since I don’t like Big Mac’s. 

Suffering and Joy

As I joyfully waited for my food in the McDonalds lot I began to wonder if this is often why we rail against suffering and persecution and the difficulties we face in life.  We go through heartache and it seems as if the Lord just dropped the ball and then gives us a cold “sorry” but then reminds us that He’s in control and we are not.  McDonalds seemed to communicate to me, “I own you, you’ll be back, I don’t really need to go above and beyond to sell you this mystery meat because you’re already addicted and you knows its cheap and easy”.  And sometimes I wonder if we view God and suffering similarly.  “I’m God.  I own you.  So shut it and keep coming back”. 

Though sometimes it may feel that way, the Scriptures communicate to us that suffering is not pointless and the Lord’s attitude to us is not a cold indifference.  Suffering actually is intended to lead to greater joy and greater hope.  This seems to be Paul’s logic in Romans 5 when he says:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
(Romans 5:1-5 ESV)

Just as I rejoice in my “suffering” because I know that it will lead to a free chicken sandwich (or the lesser joy of a Big Mac) so also we rejoice in suffering because we know that the reward is sweeter than the pain.  I can wait 5 minutes if it means biting into a greasy chicken.  And I can endure a lifetime of pain and difficulty and border-line futility and confusion if it means that it will climax in a hope fulfilled experience of God’s love being poured out. 

So wait with joy.  We have far more than a free chicken sandwich coming our way!