You are more than what you have become

I'd like to state for us what I believe was THE secret of Jesus' obedience to the Father. That may sound like a bold statement, but I think when we look at the New Testament story about Jesus, we begin to learn His secret of how He was able to walk in passion for God, compassion for people and a focused vision of the kingdom of heaven.

The secret is this: Jesus knows who He is.

Jesus knows He is the Son of His Father in heaven and that changes everything. Consider Jesus' baptism experience. See John the Baptist standing waist deep in the Jordan River, a new prophet in Israel with the fire of God in his eyes, proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of God. He announces that one is coming after him who will baptize God's people with the Spirit. Revival is coming, but not just any revival: the long awaited age of the Messiah, the King of Israel.

Enter Jesus. He knows who He is. From the very first record words from Jesus' lips ("Did you not know that I must be in My Father's house?") to His dying words ("Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.") He was conscious of who He was. Yet, this baptism experience at then Jordan River seems to be something special the Father does for Him. "You are My Son, My Beloved. I am so pleased with You." With that Jesus has a spiritual experience that is unparalleled: He sees heaven ripped open above Him and the Spirit of God descends upon Him like a dove. Accompanied by His Father's voice, Jesus emerges from the water with a fresh vision of who He is.

Immediately God desires to test and refine this experience in the wilderness. The Spirit drives Him into isolation for an intense 40 days of fasting. Notice the devil's attacks on Him: "If You are the Son of God . . ." He knows that if He can get Jesus to doubt who He is then he can get Jesus' obedience. Jesus stands up to the devil's assaults on His identity.

The same is true with us. We may say, "But I am not like Jesus. He was the Son of God." True. No one is like Jesus in this respect. And yet we read in the New Testament the mystery of Jesus' identity, fully God and fully man. Divinity putting on humanity. And yet if we read in this mystery that Jesus somehow had an advantage to listening to and following His Father, we miss one of the great points of the incarnation. He did not cling to His equality with God but emptied Himself and took on the likeness of men, and even further, took on the true form of a servant among men (Philippians 2:6-7). The one who was the very radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature (Hebrews 1:3) is the one who entered into human reality in a fully way, with all of our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and is today still not ashamed to call us brothers (Hebrews 2:11). Imagine it: somewhere, right now, in the heavenly realms, God is seated on the highest and most exalted throne; and who is sitting beside Him? A MAN. A human being! Granted, Jesus is more than a man, but He is not less than one either. He fully entered into our human condition and emerged a spotless lamb.

God's Son came and died so that we might have the privilege of being adopted, but more than this, God also sent His Spirit into our hearts so that we might have the EXPERIENCE of adoption. Jesus called Father "Abba," meaning "Papa, Daddy." He could do so because He was God's Son. But we, who have the same Spirit that Jesus had, the same Spirit that led Him, guided Him, and empowered Him to live the fullest human life, we also can call God Abba.

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Romans 8:13-17)

Can we say with great confidence that God loves us in the same way and manner than He loves Jesus Christ? If we cannot, then we have not entered into a full experience and appreciation of the Spirit's inner witness to our hearts that we are fully adopted children.

Brennan Manning writes it this way: "Jesus' self-awareness and unflagging zeal in His ministry must be seen in direct and unceasing relation to His interior life of growing intimacy with the Father . . . The only way possible may to move out of our obsessive self-awareness and into the life of Christ is to surrender ourselves and let God be God. Such a surrender involves mining the field of our hearts and searching for this pearl of God's truth hidden deep within us: we belong to God. This precious discovery makes security, pleasure, and power look like cheap, painted fragments of glass. . . . In claiming ownership of the divine status as sons and daughters of the Creator of the Universe, we gain a coherent sense of self. We lose ourselves to find ourselves. . . . This loving awareness of being the child of the Father move us out of a life spent pursuing our base desires and frees us to pursue the kingdom of God. We no longer have to live lives bifurcated by our needs. Everything we have and are forms but one self, one heart beating with the lifeblood of Jesus." (Brennan Manning, The Importance of Being Foolish)

Have we lost touch with the gift of the Father, the voice of the Spirit saying, "You are mine. I call you son/daughter. You can call me Abba"? Many of us have and we live lives below the kingdom level. Some of have not, but we have turned that voice into a trite compliment from the Father and so it has lost the impact it is meant to have. Yet Jesus' inner experience of God as Abba was the most important and significant thing in His life.

Do we know who we are?

I have, for your entertainment, a transcript of a famous scene from Disney's The Lion King.



Simba: Isn't this a great place?

Nala: It is beautiful. But I don't understand something. You've been alive all this time. Why didn't you come back to Pride Rock?

Simba: {Climbing into a "hammock" of hanging vines} Well, I just needed to... get out on my own. Live my own life. And I did. And it's great. {He sounds almost as if trying to convince himself as well as Nala.}

Nala: {Voice catching, as though barely under control} We've really needed you at home.

Simba: {Quieter} No one needs me.

Nala: Yes, we do! You're the king.

Simba: Nala, we've been through this. I'm not the king. Scar is.

Nala: Simba, he let the hyenas take over the Pride Lands.

Simba: What?

Nala: Everything's destroyed. There's no food. No water. Simba, if you don't do something soon, everyone will starve.

Simba: I can't go back.

Nala: {Louder} Why?

Simba: You wouldn't understand.

Nala: What wouldn't I understand?

Simba: {Hastily} No, no, no. It doesn't matter. Hakuna Matata.

Nala: {Confused} What?

Simba: Hakuna Matata. It's something I learned out here. Look, sometimes bad things happen . . .

Nala: Simba!

Simba: (Continuing, irritated) . . . And there's nothing you can do about it. So why worry? {Simba starts away from Nala, walking on a fallen tree. Nala trots back up to him.}

Nala: Because it's your responsibility!

Simba: Well, what about you? YOU left.

Nala: I left to find help! And I found YOU. Don't you understand? You're our only hope.

Simba: Sorry.

Nala: What's happened to you? You're not the Simba I remember.

Simba: You're right. I'm not. Now are you satisfied?

Nala: No, just disappointed.

Simba: You know, you're starting to sound like my father. {Walking away again}

Nala: Good. At least one of us does. {Simba is obviously cut by the comment about his father; he tears into Nala with his words.}

Simba: {Angry} Listen, you think you can just show up and tell me how to live my life? You don't even know what I've been through!

Nala: I would if you would just tell me!

Simba: Forget it!

Nala: Fine! {Simba walks off. Camera switch to Simba pacing in a field.}

Simba: She's wrong. I can't go back. What would it prove, anyway? It won't change anything. You can't change the past. {He looks up at the stars.} You said you'd always be there for me! But you're not. And it's because of me. It's my fault. It's my fault.

{He bows his head, choking back tears. The camera backs to a far view and then zooms over to Rafiki in a nearby tree. We hear his chant.}

Rafiki's Chant: Asante sana! Squash banana! We we nugu! Mi mi apana!

{Simba seems slightly annoyed by the chant. He moves away. Rafiki, elated by the sight of Simba, follows him. Simba lies down on a log over a pond. A rock disturbs the water; Rafiki, now in a nearby tree, starts his chant again.}

Simba: Come on, will you cut it out? {Rafiki, laughing, is doing random acrobatics in the trees nearby.}

Rafiki: Can't cut it out. It'll grow right back! {laughs} {Simba starts walking away. Rafiki follows.}

Simba: Creepy little monkey. Will you stop following me? Who are you?

Rafiki: {In front of Simba, then right in his face.} The question is: Whoooooo . . . are you?

Simba: {Startled, then sighing} I thought I knew. Now I'm not so sure.

Rafiki: Well, I know who you are. Shh. Come here. It's a secret. {He pulls Simba's head over to whisper into his ear. He starts his chant into Simba's ear and laughs.} Asante sana! Squash banana! We we nugu! Mi mi apana!

Simba: Enough already. what's that supposed to mean, anyway?

Rafiki: It means you are a baboon--and I'm not. {laughs}

Simba: {Moving away} I think... you're a little confused.

Rafiki: {Magically in front of Simba again} Wrong. I'm not the one who's confused; you don't even know who you are.

Simba: {Irritated, sarcastic} Oh, and I suppose you know?

Rafiki: Sure do; you're Mufasa's boy. {Simba is surprised by this revelation. Rafiki disappears off stage right.} Bye!

Simba: Hey, wait! {Simba chases after him. When we catch up. Rafiki is in a meditative lotus position on a rock.} You knew my father?

Rafiki: {Monotone} Correction--I know your father.

Simba: I hate to tell you this, but... he died. A long time ago. {Rafiki leaps off the rock over to a dense jungle-like area.}

Rafiki: Nope. Wrong again! Ha ha hah! He's alive! And I'll show him to you. You follow old Rafiki, he knows the way. Come on! {Rafiki leads Simba through the brush. Simba has trouble keeping up due to his size.}

Rafiki: Don't dawdle. Hurry up!

Simba: Hey, whoa. Wait, wait.

Rafiki: Come on, come on.

Simba: Would you slow down? {Rafiki is seen flitting through the canopy ahead of Simba, laughing hollowly and whooping. Simba struggles to keep up. Suddenly, Rafiki appears with his hand held up right into Simba's face.}

Rafiki: STOP! {Rafiki motions to Simba near some reeds.} Shhh. {He parts the reeds and points past them with his staff.} Look down there. {Simba quietly and carefully works his way out. He looks over the edge and sees his reflection in a pool of water He first seems a bit startled, perhaps at his own mature appearance, but then realizes what he's looking at.}

Simba: {Disappointed sigh} That's not my father. That's just my reflection.

Rafiki: Noo. Look harder. {Rafiki motions over the pool. Ripples form, distorting Simba's reflection; they resolve into Mufasa's face.} You see, he lives in you. {Simba is awestruck. The wind picks up. In the air the huge image of Mufasa is forming from the clouds. He appears to be walking from the stars.}

Mufasa: {Quietly at first} Simba . . .

Simba: Father?

Mufasa: Simba, you have forgotten me.

Simba: No. How could I?

Mufasa: You have forgotten who you are, and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life.

Simba: How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be. {Shot of cloud-Mufasa, with glowing yellow eyes. He is framed in swirling clouds, radiating golden light.}

Mufasa: Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. {Close up of Simba's face, bathed in the golden light, showing a mixture of awe, fear, and sadness. The image of Mufasa starts to fade.} Remember who you are. {Mufasa is disappearing rapidly into clouds. Simba runs into the fields trying to keep up with the image.}

Simba: No. Please! Don't leave me.

Mufasa: Remember . . .

Simba: Father!

Mufasa: Remember . . .

Simba: Don't leave me.

Mufasa: Remember . . . {Simba is left out in the fields. There is just a cloud left where his father's image was. The wind tosses the grass restlessly. Rafiki approaches.}

Rafiki: What was THAT? {laughs} The weather--Pbbbah! Very peculiar. Don't you think?

Simba: Yeah. Looks like the winds are changing.

Rafiki: Ahhh. Change is good.

Simba: Yeah, but it's not easy. I know what I have to do. But, going back means I'll have to face my past. I've been running from it for so long. {Rafiki whacks Simba on the head with his staff.} Oww! Jeez-- What was that for?

Rafiki: It doesn't matter; it's in the past! {laughs}

Simba: {Rubbing head} Yeah, but it still hurts.

Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or . . . learn from it. {He swings at Simba with his staff again. This time Simba ducks.} Hah, you see! So what are you going to do?

Simba: First, I'm gonna take your stick. {Simba tosses Rafiki's staff to the side.}

Rafiki: No, no, no, no! Not the stick! {As Rafiki picks up his staff, Simba starts running off.} Hey, where are you going?

Simba: {Shouting back} I'm going back!

Rafiki: Good! Go on! Get out of here! {laughs, hoots, n' hollers. As he holds his staff above his head, a few shooting stars zing across the sky.}



Like Simba we are true sons and daughters of the Great King. We have an inheritance, our own Pride Lands; it's called the Kingdom of God, and it was the dream of Jesus' life. More than just a heavenly inheritance, Jesus saw the Kingdom as a coming reality right now, an advancing move of God that was stealing back human hearts from the enemy and ushering in the new creation.

Like Simba, because we are heirs of this kingdom and co-heirs with Christ, we have been called by God to go and take what the enemy has stolen.

Like Simba many of us have pasts that have more or less frightened us away from our inheritance. The enemy wants us to stay out in exile, accepting the lie that bad things just happen and that we need to live lives of hakuna matata, no worries. That was a philosophy for our childhood years, but like Paul, when we become men we put away childish things and pick up the dream of Jesus, the Kingdom of God.

As Simba runs into the distance, he runs into his inheritance, to rule as a king in his kingdom. He goes with the encouragement of Nala and the wisdom of Rafiki, and a fresh encounter with the voice of his father. How much we need this as the church! If the Spirit's voice has grown dull in our hearts, let us find the Nalas and Rafikis who will stubbornly call us back to what we are meant to be.

As Simba runs away the musical sound of the Busa theme begins to play. The song sings, "Busa le lizwe, Busa le lizwe, Busa le lizwe," meaning "Rule this land! Rule this land! Rule this land!"

Adopted children of God, have we forgotten who we are?

Remember, remember, remember.