"NEW LAMPS FOR OLD" -- Devotional for August 25, from "Good Seeds"

“For I will comfort them, turning their mourning into gladness, and their sorrow into joy. And to those who mourn in Zion I will give beauty for ashes, and a garment of praise for their spirit of heaviness. (Jeremiah 31:13; Isaiah 61:3)

In the story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, the evil chancellor contrived a scheme to steal the young boy’s fantastic find. Dressed in peddler’s rags, he went from house to house calling out, “New lamps for old! New lamps for old!” When he reached Aladdin’s neighborhood, he succeeded in making his desired exchange with the boy’s unknowing mother. What that evil man did to the unfortunate lad for greedy gain God does to us in our misfortune, for our good –- indeed, for our salvation. God’s promise to His people in their captivity, their affliction, in their brokenhearted condition (Isaiah 61:1), was to give all good to them in exchange for all their bad. “Their bad” would include not just the trials innocently endured at the hands of ruthless enemies, but also and especially the sorrows sustained at their own hand, by their own doing, for their own sin. Knowing we could not save ourselves, God came down to do the job. If someone commits a wrong against you, could he get right, with the law of righteousness and with you, simply by declaring himself forgiven and cleansed? What a totally preposterous idea! Forgiveness is the prerogative of the one offended, and no one else. Following His temptation by Satan in the wilderness, which marked the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus went back to his hometown of Nazareth. What would He do first? Look for someone to heal? Zap a nature miracle? Start selecting His disciple dream team? None of the above! It was the Sabbath, and His upbringing told Him it was time to go to Sunday...that is, Synagogue School! The religious leaders were feeling big-hearted that morning so they handed this dubious “favorite son” (not knowing He was the Favored SON) the scroll. Without hesitation He took it, turned right to Isaiah 61, and began to read: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, anointing Me to preach the Gospel….” And what was that gospel? Only this audacious claim: “Today this Scripture is being fulfilled – in Me! Who is this One coming to care for your souls and forgive your sins? Well, you’re looking at Him!” The gospel is this outrageous truth that any sin you or I could ever commit is first and foremost an offense against God, and apart from HIS forgiveness, we can never truly be cleansed of our guilt. Jesus came to offer the beautiful garland of healing forgiveness in exchange for the ashes of our grief over our own ugly sinfulness. I’ll take that new lamp for my old one any day of the week! How about you?