Confident Humilty: Approaching the Unapproachable - and other Contradictions

Book 4, Chapter 1, continues:

2. You command me to approach You with confidence if I would abide with You, and to receive the food of immortality if I desire to obtain life and glory everlasting.

“Come,” You say to me , “all you that labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Matt 11:28.


Oh what sweet and amiable words in the ear of a sinner, that You, O Lord my God, should invite the poor and needy to the communion of Your most sacred Body!

But who am I, O Lord, that I should presume to come to You?

Behold, the heaven of heavens cannot contain You, 1 Kings 8:27 and you say "come you all to Me."

Today, Thomas tells us several contradictions:
1. The Lord commands us to be approach Him with confidence.
    a. He will only spend time with us if we are confident in our approach...this takes faith and a knowledge of our many shortcomings.
2. He commands us to Receive a gift.
a. We give ourselves (up) so we can receive the gift of Him.
3.  He asks us to bring our burdens to Him. 
4.  He will GIVE us rest...usually we TAKE a rest.
5. He invites the poor and needy to a banquet.
6.  The heavens cannot contain Him, and yet He chooses to present Himself to us in the form of Bread and Wine.

One last comment:  This passage from 1 Kings 8 is taken from the dedication of the Temple, by Solomon.  Solomon demonstrates his confidence in several ways.
He has a large cook-out:  Literally slaughtering 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep.  He then says a prayer, on his knees, in front of the temple, just after The Lord enters in the form of a cloud. 

He prays that anyone who asks for help receive it, even if a foreigner should do so. He asks for judgment for the wrongdoings of himself and the nation, but at the same time asks that anyone asking for forgiveness of sin should receive it.  Even if all the petitioner does is turn toward the temple and pray...that will be enough.

In short, he turns everything over to God, confidently - knowing that He will do everything Solomon petitions, because He is God.  Because He's done it before.  Because He is a God of Mercy and Forgiveness.  Because He has kept His promises.

Next week:  Loving Condescension - more contradictions!

Thank you for reading and praying along with me. 'Til next time, be Imitators of Christ!