Sip Saturday
Week #13 Hebrews 1:13
**Sip Saturday is written by our Saturday morning contributor, - A beautifully gifted Christian author who seeks to honor the Trinity in her writing. She hopes that her words will encourage women to draw closer to God, whether that is through her fantasy series or her weekly devotionals.
Cornerstone Scripture:
And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
-Hebrews 1:13 ESV
"No, don't hurt him!" I screamed, trying to push my cousin off of my brother.
They were wrestling, but my brother was half my cousin's age and far more scrawny.
"We're just playing," my cousin replied, standing up straight and pinning him down with one arm. "What's the big deal?"
"Don't interfere." My brother's eyes glimmered fiercely. "If you do, I'll have to protect you, too!"
I bit my lower lip and stepped back. My cousin and brother continued to grapple with one another on the carpet in the living room. I couldn't watch. Everything in me wanted to scream and cry again, trying to pull them apart. I wanted to protect my brother from my cousin, but I was too weak, and my brother was insistent. With tears in my eyes, I fled the room. Later on, I would see my cousin rustle my brother's hair affectionately, with my brother, bruise-free and injury-free.
It's just playing, I said to myself. I have to respect my brother's wishes.
From that time on, I let them be.
As a young girl, I couldn't understand the male need for violence. Why did boys always want to hit each other? Why did they run around with sticks or nerf guns, shooting one another? I didn't understand their natural inclinations.
I don't think many Christians want to view Jesus or God as a violent warrior. They prefer to think of him as the peaceful shepherd, the one who said, "Let the little children come to me" (Matthew 19:14). They ignore the Jesus who turned tables and chased out money sellers with a whip (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-16.). They flinch away from the Jesus who said, "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34).
Yes, Jesus is gracious and merciful. Yes, Jesus is loving and kind. But Jesus did not flinch from administering justice and telling people to repent. He is a part of the Trinity, and the Yahweh of the Old Testament who commanded the Israelites to wipe out the other nations is He. Jesus will one day return and administer justice to evil sinners (see the book of Revelation). In his first coming, he rode a donkey, a symbol of peace (Matthew 21:1-11). In his second, he will ride a horse and wield a sword as a conqueror (Revelation 19). Jesus is a God of both justice and mercy. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus is King (Philippians 2:10-11). He alone will have his enemies as a footstool.
As a Christian, you are called to worship Jesus as who he truly is. He is not just a peaceful shepherd. He is a mighty warrior, a strong tower, and an amazing defense. You should acknowledge all parts of his person, including the just Jesus.
Let's pray.
Lord, please help us to live as Micah tells us: to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. Let us not forget who you have created us to be, but instead speak the truth with love. In your Son's name we pray, Amen.
I love that you pointed out both the justice and the mercy sides of Jesus. It seems many people want to focus on whichever side they personally like best or relate to the most, and it isn't a full picture. I personally have also found it very difficult to reconcile one verse with another, but you did it beautifully here in a way that makes sense. Thanks for your thoughts! (And I know you wrote this in July, but I think Substack's algorithm is super weird and I'm just seeing it now, sorry about that!)
Amen 🙏