Christ the Great Mediator:

Finding common ground in the midst of conflict is a laborious task. Typically, once the parties have found this mutual land they are mentally numb, emotionally empty, and physically exhausted. Sometimes a mediator is needed to help the parties find their way to a collective position. This individual converses with the parties trying to generate enthusiasm, focus, and options to get them moving forward. The mediator assists the other parties in wading through the difficult task toward resolution.

We all need mediators in our lives. We are not so autonomous and awesome that we can resolve every issue on our own. Fresh eyes and ears can be the most important gift to those in conflict. It makes sense, then, that Jesus would be given the label of mediator:

For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Jesus Christ… (1 Tim. 2:5 TNIV)

A core theme running throughout Scripture is the distance and conflict between humanity and God wrought by sin. When we read through the Hebrew Scripture we are faced with this reality. The mystery, which can never be fully explained, is that God shows Himself to be a mediator as well as one of the parties in the midst of this actuality. Woven into the fabric of Scripture is God tirelessly drawing His creation back by constantly providing inroads toward communion. This, in my opinion, is one of the great realities of God we under-appreciate. We Christians look at the Hebraic Law and Regulation with distaste and ridicule all the while missing the humbling fact that God would actually build any inroads to Himself. The simple fact that God would even place himself in a situation where a mediator is present is mind blowing.

Unlike many of the conflicts with which we find ourselves, God has no blame or guilt in creating the chasm of separation. In this situation, He does not have to come to the table. He does not have to go through any process of conflict resolution. It is his right to stay away, to reject us. When we are faced with those conflicts where one party carries the majority—if not all—the blame we rarely look for resolution. We want recompense, but not resolution. We do not want to bridge the chasm of separation. In some contexts this may not be a bad thing. In others, it may be something to consider.

But there has never been a moment in history where God has not been graciously providing some avenue for us to know Him. He has always—even though we do not deserve it—mediated and bridged that chasm. To overlook the 1st Testament is to miss the constant grace and mercy of God poured out to disreputable creatures. Yes: Jesus is the perfect and whole reflection of this practice, but it is something occurring over and over again throughout Scripture.

I am thankful for these words to Timothy. I am thankful that God continues to build bridges toward us; that He humbled himself into the role of mediator when He was not the one who created the split in the first place. When was the last time you let this reality sink in to your faith? How often do you remember this constant activity of God? Are there times when this reality was palpable to you? When were they?

I hope that on this Thanksgiving holiday we all would take some time to reflect and remember those wonderful chasm covers constructed for us.


Blessings,


CPF


Painting: The Japanese Bridge, Green Harmony
Artist: Claude Monet