For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with us. But we have one who was made like us in every way. (Heb. 4:15)
“A Personal God in an Impersonal World” John 1:1-5; Hebrews 4:15
The world is a
bit less personal today with the illusion that it is becoming more personal. For example- the new iphones will open with a
picture of your face- sounds really personal doesn’t it? But basically it reduces the contours of your
face to a numeric code- so that a computer could read it. Reducing your face to a number is a bit
impersonal.
If you watch TV on cable or Direct TV or satellite or the internet- what you watch is recorded. You will get advertising, mailings, even emails based on what you apparently liked. The illusion is that you may think that this is personal, but it is just a way for them to get more money out of you.
The ability of computers to analyze us and supposedly “help” us and even outwit us is amazing. So in May of 1997 the reigning world chess champion, Kasparov, was beaten by IBM’s Big Blue computer. So The world’s most complicated game “The Go Game” was designed by the Chinese with more variables than atoms. In 2017 the world champion was built by a Google designed computer. This has the attention of man governments for it means that machines can teach themselves- and teach rapidly.
If you were to go to prison they would give you a number. You would lose your name in order to be a number. These mega computers can track billions of people with trillions of bits of data and reduce you to a number. But let me tell you this- you are more than your social security number or your drivers license number or your passport number or your credit card numbers. Maybe to some bank or the government you are just a number, but to God you are much, much more. God made you individually, and knows you. He has a plan for your life. If Google can take a picture of your house and show what kind of car you have in the drive way, so God who is much greater than a computer can know you, and more than that love you.
The world will tell you that reality is just atoms- just money and stuff. If that is true, then we are all just atoms and robots are just as valuable as humans.
Jesus came to show us that there is another way than just what we can see. So a baby can change the world. So a backwoods small town and a poor stable can change the world. So twelve fishermen can change the world. Jesus’ birth teaches us once more that it is more important to walk by faith than by sight.
In an impersonal world that values lust over love, God comes to show us what love really is. He does not just send an angel though He did that. He came Himself- personally to give a personal love.
God became vulnerable- sacrificing comfort to show that there is much more to life than things.
Robots can tell you “I am sorry.” But they do not mean it. They cannot feel it. God, however, does feel. He who made our emotions describes Himself in scripture as “Love.” God is love. He showed us this- in coming down for us to sympathize with us in our sorrows and weaknesses. Our passage says that we do not have a great high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. But God came down to be like us. He is The Word made flesh. He is God with skin on.
Next year is an election year. Already I have been getting robo calls. It is amazing that I have gotten calls from the president, a senator, and a governor, and several candidates on both sides. I would love to say that they all know my name- but I am very much aware they don’t know who I am. I am just a number to them. But I know I am not just a number to God. God came personally to tell me this. When I look at the life of Jesus I see a person who stopped to help to heal to strengthen and inspire. He shows us what God is like. He called people by name when he had never been introduced to them- like Nathanael- who was so amazed that He called him by name and told him what he had been doing ahead of time that he became a disciple. Or like Zaccheaus who was far from God in his heart- but Jesus called him by name when Zaccheaus was up in a fig tree. Zaccheaus was so inspired he corrected his wrongs, gave to the poor and invited Jesus in. Today we celebrated the baptism of Caroline and Harper. In baptism we remember Jesus knows us personally, by name. You who are baptized know Him by name too. We do not just know about God- impersonally- but we know Him and love Him. Jesus loves you- know this. You are not a number to be manipulated – but a person to be loved. He came as a baby to show you this.
If you watch TV on cable or Direct TV or satellite or the internet- what you watch is recorded. You will get advertising, mailings, even emails based on what you apparently liked. The illusion is that you may think that this is personal, but it is just a way for them to get more money out of you.
The ability of computers to analyze us and supposedly “help” us and even outwit us is amazing. So in May of 1997 the reigning world chess champion, Kasparov, was beaten by IBM’s Big Blue computer. So The world’s most complicated game “The Go Game” was designed by the Chinese with more variables than atoms. In 2017 the world champion was built by a Google designed computer. This has the attention of man governments for it means that machines can teach themselves- and teach rapidly.
If you were to go to prison they would give you a number. You would lose your name in order to be a number. These mega computers can track billions of people with trillions of bits of data and reduce you to a number. But let me tell you this- you are more than your social security number or your drivers license number or your passport number or your credit card numbers. Maybe to some bank or the government you are just a number, but to God you are much, much more. God made you individually, and knows you. He has a plan for your life. If Google can take a picture of your house and show what kind of car you have in the drive way, so God who is much greater than a computer can know you, and more than that love you.
The world will tell you that reality is just atoms- just money and stuff. If that is true, then we are all just atoms and robots are just as valuable as humans.
Jesus came to show us that there is another way than just what we can see. So a baby can change the world. So a backwoods small town and a poor stable can change the world. So twelve fishermen can change the world. Jesus’ birth teaches us once more that it is more important to walk by faith than by sight.
In an impersonal world that values lust over love, God comes to show us what love really is. He does not just send an angel though He did that. He came Himself- personally to give a personal love.
God became vulnerable- sacrificing comfort to show that there is much more to life than things.
Robots can tell you “I am sorry.” But they do not mean it. They cannot feel it. God, however, does feel. He who made our emotions describes Himself in scripture as “Love.” God is love. He showed us this- in coming down for us to sympathize with us in our sorrows and weaknesses. Our passage says that we do not have a great high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. But God came down to be like us. He is The Word made flesh. He is God with skin on.
Next year is an election year. Already I have been getting robo calls. It is amazing that I have gotten calls from the president, a senator, and a governor, and several candidates on both sides. I would love to say that they all know my name- but I am very much aware they don’t know who I am. I am just a number to them. But I know I am not just a number to God. God came personally to tell me this. When I look at the life of Jesus I see a person who stopped to help to heal to strengthen and inspire. He shows us what God is like. He called people by name when he had never been introduced to them- like Nathanael- who was so amazed that He called him by name and told him what he had been doing ahead of time that he became a disciple. Or like Zaccheaus who was far from God in his heart- but Jesus called him by name when Zaccheaus was up in a fig tree. Zaccheaus was so inspired he corrected his wrongs, gave to the poor and invited Jesus in. Today we celebrated the baptism of Caroline and Harper. In baptism we remember Jesus knows us personally, by name. You who are baptized know Him by name too. We do not just know about God- impersonally- but we know Him and love Him. Jesus loves you- know this. You are not a number to be manipulated – but a person to be loved. He came as a baby to show you this.
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