“Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. At that moment the temple curtain ripped down the middle.” (Mark 15:37-38 MSG)
Ever since the fall, true intimacy has been out of reach. Shame sent the whole of humanity scurrying from God and each other, hurrying to cover up their sin-scarred selves. The Holy of Holies only hosted one near-righteous visitor annually. And even so, it was a bloody and terrifying encounter. All of that changed the very moment Jesus breathed His last, the Temple curtain tore and the throne of God became approachable.
Intimacy always involves a significant price. Sin sealed this deal; walking closely with God OR with others will certainly involve sacrifice. Our Savior went to the cross to repave our way toward intimacy, to make it possible, but we still put our own skin in the game. It’s scary stuff to pray “Less of me, more of You” or “Thy will be done” because we don’t know what God might require of us on the path to deepening relationship. It’s perhaps equally frightening to coax our honest selves out of hiding for coffee with a friend. What if they don’t like the person they discover? What shall we do then?
Because intimacy involves both bravery and cost, few of us have the fortitude to truly pursue it. We settle for flimsy, disposable relationships that can be easily replaced. We wind up worshiping God from the outer court, where surely He won’t require too terribly much.
But notice our Savior’s deep and lasting commitment to true intimacy. He has the heart of His Father, for sure, bent on reconnecting authentically with His creation, at all costs. For Jesus, the quest for intimacy involved abandoning His home, submitting Himself to the peril and fragility of human birth, spending thirty years in obscurity followed by a public and routinely persecuted ministry. His investment exponentially increased as He was accused, arrested, corruptly paraded through court and ultimately crucified. This is the price that Jesus was willing to pay to walk in daily, real relationship with us.
If Jesus values intimacy to this degree, then why don’t we? Aren’t we also gaining the heart of our Father? If Jesus gave His entire self to the aim of reconnecting mortals to the Almighty, so should we. What worthier cause exists? If we are being honest, life is uncomfortable anyway. We may as well redeem our discomfort by wearing it with Kingdom purpose.
We have this one earthly existence. What if we were to live it brave? What if we said a quiet ‘yes’ to the possibility of bringing our true selves into each and every conversation? What if we purposed now to respond in obedience to the next impossible task the Lord puts in front of us? What if we valued connectivity to God and others at all costs?
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ…” (Philippians 2:5 NIV)
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (Ephesians 4:25 NIV)
Dear Lord, intimacy seems to have such a high price tag. Please forgive us for our tendency to count the cost and back away. Thank You for Your commitment to connection. Give us our Father’s heart as we pursue earnest relationship with You and others. Amen.