Wonderful Counsellor

I’m reading through Tim Keller’s excellent book King’s Cross right now which is an examination of the life of Christ – a sort of biography of Jesus during his ministry years. Being a fan of Keller’s insights I’ve had this book on my “I should eventually get to reading this” pile for a while, but then I stumbled upon the information that the biography was extracted from Mark’s account of the Messiah I knew I had to bump this book up the list as I have already committed to (and started working on) preaching through the Gospel of Mark beginning after New Years. Along the way I’m gleaning many insights about this exciting account of Jesus and getting increasingly fired-up about tackling this subject matter in my sermons – but today as I was reading over my lunch hour I came across a section on the healing of the Syrophoenician Woman from Mark Chapter 7 and Keller made an interesting point that really got me thinking.

In tackling the issue of how well this woman responded to Jesus and his racial epithet about the dogs and the children’s bread Keller makes the connection back to the story of the death of Lazarus – how Jesus knows what we need and gives it to us rather than treating us all equally – or rather more appropriately, treating us all the same. Here is what he says:

“Jesus’s response to the woman’s request to heal her daughter is enigmatic, cryptic, even astringent. With the deaf-mute he’s melt-in-your-mouth sweet. In John’s Gospel chapter 11, after Lazarus has died, he comes to be with Martha and Mary, the sisters. Martha says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” and Jesus rebukes her. Then Mary comes up and says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” and Jesus just weeps with her. Same words—by no means the same response. Why? Because Jesus always gives you what you need, and he knows better than you what that is. He’s the Wonderful Counselor.”

In this season of holiday brokenness, of old wounds of hurt and loneliness being opened up again where the ‘joy’ of the season for so many can be like salt rubbed in a laceration – isn’t is good news to know that the prophet foretold of the coming of one who would be called:

“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

-Isaiah 6:9b

Jesus deals with each of us as we need him. For some of us it’s a gentle hand guiding us through our troubles, for some of us is a wise word of guidance and for some of us (and I usually fall in the latter category) it’s a swift kick in the rear end and a rebuke to get over ourselves and get back with the program. It’s good news this Christmas that we have a wonderful counsellor who knows us like no other counsellor could.

Just an interesting thought for you today,

Chris