The gift of needy.
What if avoiding being needy is a mistake. But I don't want to be needy. Me either. What if being needy was built into our design. Cruel or compassionate? A cruel blow to purposely inflict the pain of a life that is not as fun and fakely perfect as what I see around me or fantasize that its like in Moneywood? Or a beautiful invitation to admit a longing for more than I sense I experience now because my heart is a complex place that needs rescuing? What if being needy is what qualifies us for the prize.
You've heard of a jack of all trades. Someone who is really good at a lot of different things. It's pretty cool to find a person that handles all kinds of repairs in your home, seeming to understand it all. What I rarely find is a jack of all trades about the soul of people. It's too complex. If you're really honest, think about all of the complexities of your own heart, all of the thoughts, inclinations, desires, considerations, likes, dislikes, plans, hurts, purity, impurity....all of the...well...neediness. And now multiply that by everybody. Everybody has that same neediness whether we want to or will admit it or not. And Jesus gets us in all of our neediness, multiplied by everybody. That is stunning. I thought about the complexity of all this last week as I spent time in the bible book of Luke, chapter 18.
There are 6 little stories inside of this one chapter of the bible that I have been thinking about this week. Jesus is telling stories and interacting with different people and He is able to pursue each individual heart in all their staggering, beautiful neediness.
Here is a snapshot....
He's teaching his disciples about praying and not giving up in prayer by talking about a woman who is wearing a judge out by asking him over and over again to grant her justice. NEEDY IN PRAYER.
He's teaching some who were confident in their own righteousness about the difference of the prideful focus on ourselves and being desperate for God. NEEDY IN PRIDE.
He's teaching the disciples and those gathered that children are not a bother and in fact children are a great picture of those who will receive the kingdom of God. NEEDY LIKE CHILDREN.
He's interacting with a young man who is very wealthy and Jesus is teaching him that he needs a new treasure besides wealth. NEEDY WITH MONEY.
He's telling his closest friends about all that He Himself is about to suffer. "They will mock Me, insult Me, spit on Me, flog Me, kill Me." NEEDY IN PAIN. (Yes, Jesus needy.)
He's interacting with a blind man who has called out to Jesus. The man is rebuked and told to shut up, but the man shouted all the more to Jesus. Jesus asked the man, "What do you want me to do for you?" Or in other words, "What do you need?" NEEDY FOR HEALING!
Taken altogether? NEEDY IN NEEDINESS!
Jesus is amazing. Six different moments with different groups of people. He takes the time to teach them that being needy isn't prohibitive of His presence, it actually invites His presence. I am not here to attend to those who are already right with God. I am here to to attend to sinners. Needy sinners. You and me. Today.
The gift of needy doesn't push Jesus away. He brings you close. He brings you close.
He brings you close.
Ahhhh. Needy and close to Jesus.
There's more.