“So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.”- Hebrews 12:13
Today John Ortberg looks at the second reason we’re tempted to give up searching for the door when the wall seems insurmountable.
2. God is not good enough. Pastor Ortberg states we become afraid God will give up on us. Often we feel like we’re on the outside looking in. When Adam and Eve first were created, the Garden of Eden was a world with no doors. Sin changed all that. Genesis 3:24 (NRSV) describes the first door:
“[God] drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.”
Sin, John notes, is a room with no door. Jean Paul Sartre titled his portrait of hell “No Exit.” But there always is a door- and that door is Jesus. Jesus took on our “outsideness,”, as John explains:
“Jesus became an outsider so we could be invited in. Jesus left his home so we could come home.”
God’s goodness is the only reason we need to persevere in following the wall until we find the door.
Today’s question: Following your vocation loss, have you ever felt God has given up on you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “When we’re afraid”
