THE SCENARIO Mama Bird is so like Jesus Christ. She flew in last week and is going to stay a while we reckon. It was unexpected, this visit, but sure welcome. There is a lot of good, Christly good, up for learning, just by watching her, just by watching Mama Bird work out her God-given nature in its purest, primitive form. Mama Bird surely holds a tender spot in our Lord’s heart as He watches her work out her God-given nature. Thank you, my Lord, for teaching us some important lessons through Mama Bird.
In the outworking of this scenario please consider the following:
SENSITIVITY POINTS UNDER CONSIDERATION
1. Sacrifice.
Figure1. Mama Bird making a home out of a hanging planter-basket!
1. Mama Bird is sacrificial. Mama Bird has no notion of self. Mama Bird’s “notion” is fixed on her own. We have watched Mama Bird go without food, or partake of the bare minimum, for an extended period, to ensure that her own have plenty; she will feed her own before she feeds herself. Christian friend, do you remember how that Jesus fed us when we were so hungry and thirsty, unable to feed ourselves? Even at no cost (Isaiah 55:1), but at such great cost to Himself, this Bread of Life that He fed us, and Living Waters for our parched throats (John 6:33-35, 51)? Blessed Mama Bird is somewhat like unto Him. So glad she flew in last week to stay a while and teach us a few things.
2. What amazing dedication to duty Mama Bird exhibits day in and day out. No fanfare here, just selfless dedication to duty (cf. Jesus, John 6:38). Come rain or sunshine, Mama Bird is on the job—for the sake of her own—is the key takeaway. We are reminded of Jesus’ baptism that distressed Him but in no way deterred Him, in fact only motivated Him even more, to accomplish the duty for His own which He ever so willingly took upon Himself and indeed, purposed, to accomplish (Luke 12:50). Stressed and distressed, Mama Bird notwithstanding pushes ahead to accomplish the goal God sets before her.
3. Love is patient (1Corinthians 13:4). That must be what motivates Mama Bird to patiently endure for her own; yea more, surely, than just instinctual and/or rote dedication to duty motivates her. Christian friend, do you remember how that Jesus endured the Cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2)? What could that joy possibly have been? You know it, said joy, you know it personally because you are it. Now, Jesus’ whole life was a Cross, was it not? Sure, His life manifestly ended when he released His Spirit at Calvary on the Cross, so He endured a real, manifest Cross, but His whole incarnate life down here was so to speak a Cross. And He endured that, all of that, for the joy set before Him, which is specifically you, and me, and our Christian brethren—here is centered His Joy. Imagine, God rejoices over you Christian friend—is that not terrific? And why does He rejoice over you, Christian friend? Is it not because He deeply loves you? Amen, of course it is so. He endured for none other than His own (and Father God’s will). His own, even His own, whom He loves with an everlasting love. Watching Mama Bird endure got us thinking about these sorts of things; how good it has been that our Lord brought her by for a while to awaken some sleepy thoughts, to attend to some things that get overlooked and thus retool a little bit here and there by His grace. O how He gets things done—the machinery and the means and the mechanisms and whatnot!
4. My how Mama Bird fusses over her own. It comes in various forms, from outright display of affectionate emotion, to scolding and discipline, to “trial by fire” that thrusts her own into the harsh realities of a fallen world that prepares them and teaches them how to survive in those harsh realities. She is always right there by their side though, as she teaches; she never leaves them nor forsakes them in their struggles to mature and not least to survive. How like unto Jesus she is in this, who grows us up, sometimes in some pretty tough environs, yet with a heart that is pleased to fuss over us and love us with an everlasting love, ever by our side in our struggles (John 16:33, Hebrews 13:5).
5. Mama Bird is not excessively big, and Mama Bird is not easily riled up in general, but when her own are threatened even in the least she fast rises and protects them with lethal fervor. She will protect her own at all cost. Without so much as an instant of hesitation or a second thought, Mama Bird would lay down her life for her own. Mama Bird would fight the threat until her last drop of blood is spent, no doubt. Is this not how Jesus protected (protects) us from the evil one, even that unclean thing with that odious name Satan? Yea, in the affirmative. And He Jesus, has fought, and defeated, that odium Satan; even unto Jesus’ last drop of precious blood, and precisely by way of that spent blood Jesus has saved His own “unto the age”—for Himself—for we are His hard-earned Joy, forever. He saved us with a lethal fervor, for Satan is finished—Christ’s blow to Satan’s head was lethal (Genesis 3:15, Romans 16:20, Revelation 20:10).
6. Mama Bird no doubt cannot grasp it, but she is highly dependent on Jehovah God for every aspect of her life, as we all are. In stark contrast, many can grasp this dependence, but will not accept it. Is not Mama Bird better off in the long haul than such as these? Jesus, in the days of His flesh, threw Himself upon Father God for everything. For that reason alone, in deference to Him and His teaching by way of example oftentimes, it is incumbent upon us all to do the same. This bespeaks trusting Him, trusting God. Trusting God comes by knowing Him, getting to know Him, and that familiarity is made available, and real, by His living Word. The Living Word of God, whereby we come to know Him, and by and by trust Him more and more; by and by throwing ourselves upon Him for everything, like Mama Bird, even though she is not cognizant of who it is that takes care of her (Matthew 6:26). As the Scripture says, if God thus takes care of the Mama Birds of this world, will He not take care of us even more, much, much more (Matthew 6:26-29, 30-34)? The secular world mocks and disdains these things, but let us embrace them with joy for the sheer implications inherent in God’s provisions-promises to us ("A Letter of Invitation" to you secular friend for the best care possible), and let us embrace them with gratitude, yea gratitude, for the exceeding blessing/s by which God does in fact take care of us, blessings far beyond those we can touch and feel and see. If we only knew the extent of His blessings today…We will know one day and be amazed at what He did/is doing for us today, even day by day.
7. Dearest Christian friend, who is Mama Bird? Is it you? Are you a Mama Bird in the making? Yes, you surely are Christian friend. We love you and rejoice in your Salvation dearest Christian brother/sister/friend.
Praised and cherished and appreciated be your Name in all the earth “Mama Bird” Jesus. Amen.
ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES
Figure 1. Mama Bird—making a home out of a hanging planter-basket!
WORKS CITED AND REFERENCES
“A Letter of Invitation.”
Jesus, Amen.
< http://jesusamen.org/aletterofinvitation.html >