If you’ve spent much time around me at all, you’ve heard me say that one of the best things about having a son is that I get to legitimize doing things like hanging out in the toy department. If you’re my age and standing there alone looking at Star Wars toys, people look at you like you’re a weirdo. But if you’re there with a 10-year-old, you’re a good dad! But it also legitimizes watching HIS cartoons. And let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to just watch cartoons all day again? There’s one that was on Nickelodeon a few years ago called “Avatar: The Last Airbender”. It has nothing to do with that 3D “Blue People” movie that James Cameron made a few years ago. It’s just a fun little cartoon about people who can “Bend” elements. Basically that means that they can manipulate the elements. Firebenders manipulate fire. Earthbenders control rocks. And then there were air and water benders. “The Avatar” was the only one on the planet who could bend all four.
Let me see if I can quickly summarize the 3-year, 60-episode story arc. There was a mean Prince (that had been banished by his even meaner dad) that was a firebender that chased the Avatar (the last airbender) for two and a half years, and in the end joins the Avatar to help defeat the Evil Firelord (the prince’s father). OK, followed all that? Well, while being banished, Prince Zuko (the banished prince) is accompanied by his Uncle Iroh. During the first season, Iroh is pretty much comic relief being the silly, old uncle. Starting in the second season, he begins to be the voice of reason (the whisper?). He tries to help Zuko be his own person and do the right thing, not just what others expect him to do. Iroh tried to teach Zuko to be the good person he should be…the person that Iroh knows is already inside Zuko. Then Season 2 ended with a HUGE betrayal, and Zuko turned his back on his Uncle. Iroh gets thrown in jail. Zuko gets a hero’s welcome back home with this father the Firelord (who, by the way, is conquering the world and is voiced by Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill).
Skipping a LOT and jumping to the last episodes (and you’re thinking to yourself, THIS is skipping a lot?!), after half a season of trying to get (but not getting) advice from his Uncle in prison, Zuko has joined the Avatar. Iroh (who only spoke a few words to Zuko while he was in prison) has busted out of jail and started his own group of good guys. And THEN there’s a reunion. Zuko enters the tent while Iroh is asleep, and waits all night for him to wake up. When Iroh awakes, his back is to Zuko, and Prince Zuko pours out his heart to him. “I’m so sorry, Uncle. What I did was awful, and what I wanted isn’t what I thought I wanted…” and Uncle Iroh grabs him unexpectedly in a huge, loving hug. Zuko is taken aback and says, “Uncle? I thought you’d be furious at me.”
And Iroh said, “I was never angry with you. I was only sad because you’d lost your way.”
I know that’s not a parable…but boy, it COULD be!! And those who have actually seen the show, know the emotion that Uncle Iroh has in his voice. And I know we hear about the wrath of God and sometimes we think that God’s up there just marking off the days until Jesus comes back to judge the Earth. “You just wait until Jesus comes back! THEN they’ll get theirs!” But like Iroh, God doesn’t get angry when we lose our way. The story of the prodigal son illustrates that He’s ready to run to us with open arms after we’ve lost our way. Will there be punishment for those that refuse the Gospel of Jesus? Absolutely. Did Jesus say, “If you love me, you’ll keep my commandments” to those of us who call ourselves Christians? Sure did. Did Jesus himself while walking on this very Earth say in Matthew 10:4 that each of us will have to give an account for every careless word we’ve spoken? No, not in Matthew 10:4, good buddy. He actually said that in Matthew 12:36. Bonus points and your devotionals next week are free if you caught that one. J But Jesus DID say that very thing.
So as I sit here today and type this devotional, do I have some ‘splainin’ to do (as Ricky Ricardo said) about the way I talk and act sometimes? Yeah. Do I have some forgiveness to ask for because I say I’ve accepted the gift Jesus had to offer. The one He offered by DYING for me…while I act like I’ve never heard his name at times. “Jesus who? Yeah, they mention him at church sometimes, but we have a ‘Jesus check’ right next to the coat check at the office, so it’s ok.” Really? NO, not really! He’s at the office with you, too.
But with repentance comes forgiveness. And no, God’s not sitting up there in Heaven with an abacus with my name on it, and every time I lose my temper, he slides a bead over. Tick. Oops, just said something in traffic, sliding another bead over. Tick. Ducked an opportunity to share the Gospel, let’s move another bead over. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
He’s not counting down the days until Judgment Day so he can get his revenge against you for acting like we do sometimes even after Jesus died for us. No, He’s not angry with us…He’s sad because we’ve lost our way. My man Peter…the one I can identify with most…said in 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. That’s not to say that there won’t be a day when his anger will be poured out on the world. Scripture is clear that it will. There will come a day that the unrepentant will pay the bill that’s due. And many will say to him “Lord, Lord”. But my point is that he’s NOT up there in Heaven wringing his hands together like a mad scientist waiting for the day that He gets to do it.
So the next time you’ve stumbled, again, on that same stumbling block. When you’re struggling with your thorn the way Paul struggled with his. When you’re sobbing at Jesus’ feet saying “I’m so sorry, Jesus. What I did was awful, and what I wanted isn’t what I thought I wanted…” Listen for the whisper that tells you that God is not angry with you. And feel the comfort God offers when He pulls you to Him unexpectedly in a great, loving hug and says, “I was never angry with you. I was sad because you had lost your way.”
~Dwayne
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