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| (Eastern Orthodox prayer rope) |
Jesus exhorts us to do more than just keep the stated law; He asks us to take a step further by walking in love. Love compels us to relinquish our right for revenge. Love compels us to give without expecting any sort of accolade. Love compels us to walk two miles when only one mile is required.
The Holy Spirit, who is Love, draws us into the wilderness to experience the passion of Christ even though our love for Him is sorely lacking. It is this experience, wrought in secret, that shifts us from being mere servants of God to being His beloved Bride (see Hosea 2:13-20). We learn to love.
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5 through 7), preaches a message that urges His people to go beyond the basics of the Ten Commandments and to live lives that are completely given over to the Lordship of Christ-- not because of duress, but because of love. His sermonic refrain, "You have heard it said that... but I say to you...", reinforces the purpose of His coming to earth: not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. What the sacrifices of bulls and goats could not accomplish, Christ Jesus has accomplished through His blood. It is a victory foretold through Jewish law, but fulfilled in Jesus's love.
In the time of Jesus's earthly ministry, it was common in Jewish culture to have a special place set aside for intimacy with God through private prayer. Just as a husband and wife were expected to have a room for private expression of their sexual relationship, devout believers were expected to have a dedicated place for private expression of their spiritual relationship with the Father. We catch a glimpse of this in the life of the apostle Peter, who (when staying with Simon the tanner) would retreat to the rooftop for private prayer (see Acts 10:9). What has Jesus said? Go into your room, close the door. Your Father is unseen, and your intimate prayers to Him must be unseen. Peter, who was not in his own home, nonetheless made the rooftop a "room" where he could meet privately with God. Private prayer was a non-negotiable aspect of Peter's life.
What bride avoids conversing one-on-one with a husband who showers her with love and compassion? What bride would spurn his advances? The hallmark of a betrothed woman is that she loves her husband as he loves her: she longs for private times and private spaces shared only with him. As Christians, we are the Bride of Christ. We are His betrothed. And Jesus Himself set the example for us, frequently seeking out private places where He could have intimate, private prayer with His Father.
Interestingly, although these love experiences are a cloistered training ground for the Christian, the results of such experiences are no secret at all. Jesus says, three times, Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you publicly (Matthew 6:4; 6:6; 6:18). What is our Father's reward for those private prayer sessions? A public ministry filled with the power of His Spirit. God will do this for those who, like His Son, lovingly seek after Him and intentionally engage private prayer.
With all of my heart I hunger for You;
All I want and all I seek is true intimacy with You.
Here I stand waiting, Lord,
Touch me now like never before!
Let me change and be transformed:
True intimacy is what I'm longing for.
Intimacy is the longing of my heart, Lord, of this heart!
(Lyrics Eoghan Heaslip. Copyright 1999, Daybreak Music Ltd.)
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