I missed the point many times. My earliest memory of missing the point of something was when I was five or six years old. Sesame Street was in its heyday, and a Big Bird™ toy was the “must-have” toy that year for Christmas.
My parents were never very good at keeping Christmas gifts a secret. Early in the evening, usually a day or two before our traditional gift-opening on Christmas Eve, we would be sent to our rooms for no real reason. But we always knew the reason: the unmistakable sounds of scissors, crinkling wrapping paper, and frustrated muttering coming from the other room.
It Had to Be Big Bird
I wasn’t known for my patience (I do hope that has changed by now). I wanted the Big Bird toy more than anything that year, and after the usual night of frenzied wrapping, I spied a Big-Bird-sized box under the tree. My parents tried to hide it under some other presents, but I saw it. I had studied the size of the Big Bird box when we were in a store. It had to be Big Bird.
Slowly, oh-so-carefully, I crept into the living room one night before Christmas Eve while everyone was asleep. I gingerly pulled back on the smallest piece of wrapping tape on the box. Bingo! Big Bird’s eyes peered into my soul.
In my planning, I hadn’t considered how I would reattach the tape. Panic set in when I realized that the tape I’d peeled back wouldn’t stick again. The only thing I could do was put the box back in place and hope for the best. I even tried to push a few smaller presents around to cover the peeling tape as best as a five- or six-year-old could.
An Elf Did a Bad Job
Christmas Eve arrived, and after dinner, we gathered as a family to hear the Christmas story and exchange presents. I didn’t pay close attention because I was distracted. What was going to happen? Were Aiti and Isä (Mom and Dad in Finnish) going to see the opened package? What would I do if they asked me if I did it?
Oh, the tangled webs we weave, even from early childhood!
When Isä handed out the gifts, he came to the Big Bird box and, of course, noticed it had been tampered with. He said while looking at me with a smile, “An elf did a bad job wrapping this gift,” and handed it to me.
I was so sure that I was going to be in trouble for peeking at the present that I missed the point of opening presents that night. The fear of getting found out consumed me. My father’s reaction soothed my anxious heart, and I ended up enjoying my new Big Bird. But not without first feeling the angst of being found out.
I’ve Missed the Point, How About You?
There have been many times when I’ve missed the point throughout my lifetime. How about you?
- Studying to pass a test, but not to learn.
- Exercising only for vanity, but not for health benefits.
- Participating in religious rituals like going to church without having a relationship with God.
I want to think that I’ve learned enough, starting with my Big Bird experience, not to miss the point as much as I used to.
Jesus Came Not To Prove Us Right
Jesus came onto the scene most humbly: born into a poor family, His first night spent in a barn among farm animals. He didn’t come as would be expected of a King. He came as a servant without fanfare.
This ran cross-grain to how the people of Israel thought their Messiah would come. Surely He would come with great pomp and circumstance and annihilate all their enemies, proving that they were “right.”
They misunderstood God’s intention. From the beginning, God had planned for all the people of the world.
His love for all people of the world was a stumbling block; they were unable to reconcile God’s love extending to people who were outside of what they thought acceptable.
They missed the point entirely.
When the Kingdom Would Be Restored
Throughout Jesus’ lifetime, His disciples questioned Him about “when” the Kingdom would be restored to Israel. Unfortunately, the disciples also missed the point time and again.
Now while they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.
Luke 19:11 (NASB)
There was a process that Jesus initiated through His birth, death, and resurrection, which would ultimately result in the long-awaited expansion of God’s Kingdom to the people of the world. God’s Kingdom, unbeknownst to the disciples and others even today, is more than a physical, visible kingdom. It is a family of people from every corner of the world who have received the gift of God’s grace through His Son, Jesus.
Prove Us Right
After Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to His disciples, He sent them to Jerusalem to “wait.” He said they wouldn’t wait for long. There was another step in the process that they had to take before doing anything else.
Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth."
Acts 1:4-8 (NASB)
Even after all they had witnessed and experienced, the disciples were still fussing over when the Kingdom would be restored to Israel. When would they be proven right before the whole world as God’s chosen people?
Jesus, again, pointed them away from their flawed thinking and said, “It’s not for you to know…” There was more to the story than a “prove us right” moment. From the beginning of time, God’s intent was the same: the whole world needs to know. It was time to get it right and not miss the point. Go into all the world, let everyone, everywhere know.
We’re Here On Purpose
Life’s distractions, milestones, and tragedies all have a way of getting us off point. Our minds are easily pulled from the reason why we are here. We’re not here to be right, get an excellent education, be rich, or even “be happy.” We’re here on purpose to bring the Kingdom to a lost world. We’re not here to prove a point; if that is what we’re living like, we’ve missed the point.
I know the verses that come to mind about living in prosperity (3 John 1:2) and joy (Nehemiah 8:10, which I just read this morning), and many more. God is not contradicting Himself. Instead, He is showing that living His way, a way that reaches out to the world, brings us joy, provision, and even health.
Living His way means living with His priorities in mind; this is His will. You don’t even have to pray about whether or not you should live in this way, for this is precisely how Jesus lived, and this is the life to which we are called:
Find the Family
Don’t get caught up in the hype of this world. It may sound “righteous,” but if it takes us away from His priority, we’ve missed the point. Jesus’ way is better. He came to this world humbly, as a servant, to find the lost members of the family. That’s how we came to Him. It isn’t a popular way to live because it lacks the hype the world finds so attractive. In fact, living this way will likely put you at odds with those who lobby you to follow their cause, whatever it may be. Leave all the world’s causes to the world and focus on filling the Kingdom. How and when He’s going to set it all straight isn’t for us to know. It’s above our pay grade.
Otherwise, we have missed the point.
