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- Bending Toward Christ
On Sunday I preached a sermon of commissioning for my friend and fellow pastor Josh Kary as he is going to take up ministry in Cochrane, Alberta as Senior Pastor of Grace Church. My sermon emphasized the need to heed the command of Mark 9:7, “Listen to Him”. My metaphor for listening was the picture of bending the ear to hear his word.
Two illustrations of this bending orientation toward Christ came from Charles Bridges (1794-1869) and Samuel Pearce (1766-1799).
Bend All Subjects
The first illustration is about bending everything toward Jesus Christ. Bridges said, referring to the Apostle Paul’s command:
He would have us affirm constantly the doctrine of man’s ruin and recovery as the sole efficient spring of godliness; and after his own example bend all subjects naturally to Christ, and concentrate them all in the full exhibition of his cross.”
So Bridge’s idea is that whatever the topic, theme, activity or interest, it should be naturally bent toward Christ. This takes sound theology and spiritual wisdom. Some will do it better than others. And all of us lack the consistency to do it well all of the time. But as we mature in Christian faith we will more consciously make this practice our habit and orient everything towards Christ.
All Mercuries…All Near The Sun
The second illustration is about having our motion in life bent toward Christ, and so being both active and zealous, like planets in a heliocentric orbit, but in this case, we orbit in a truly Christocentric way. Pearce said:
[T]hrough grace it shall be all light by and by. Yes, you and I shall be angels of light; all Mercuries then; all near the Sun; always in motion; always glowing with zeal, and flaming with love. Oh for the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness!”
So the idea is that we should “bend all subjects naturally to Christ” and bend our orientation toward Jesus Christ as the orbit of Mercury is bent toward the sun as its center of gravity.
We are all distracted in many ways, even good ways. But the need of the hour is to re-orient ourselves toward Christ himself. By bending our ears to hear his word and bending our attention to him in everything, we will be in our proper orbit, rather than being wandering stars (Jude 1:3).
Bending and Flexing
Later, my mother reminded me about the horse trainer’s practice of bending a horse’s neck and front end. By flexing horses’ spines in this way, they remain flexible and have better mobility and longevity.
I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! Psalm 119:32
Even this analogy of bending fits. Our Lord is bending us in various ways, flexing us toward his commands, orienting us to his voice and hand. When we are supple and responsive, his commands are not burdensome. In fact we find that we can bear well with the harness of Christ’s demands. He said:
“ 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30).
Could it be that difficulties and trials are even more painful than they need to be because we have been so “stiff-necked” (Ex. 32:9; Deut 9:6, 13; 10:16; 31:27)?
Then when God bends us we will hopefully say with the Psalmist, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes” (Ps. 119:71).
ACTIONS🥅
Are you bending your ear to hear Christ’s word?
Are you letting God’s commands bend you to be responsive to him?
Are you bending all of your attention toward Christ?
Are you bending your orbit so that God is the center of gravity in your life?
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