Reflections in Angel Wings

Angels are perfect aren't they? At least, that's what everyone says isn't it? While, interestingly, I'm not sure of what the Biblical basis of that idea is, I generally cling to it. Angels, at the very least, are good. In the same sense as man as good before the fall. But it would seem, that although good, they are left prey to many of the same temptations and feelings that we have...one of those things, being jealousy.

Jealous, you say? Why would angels be jealous? From a theological standpoint, if they are perfect they do not know pain, suffering, illness, sin, separation from God...they only know goodness. What would they have to be jealous about? It doesn't make much sense. If that isn't strange enough, may I make my claim even more outrageous. Not only are they jealous, but they are jealous of humanity itself.

No doubt you are sitting on the edge of your seat, head in hands attempting to understand how on earth angels could be jealous of cancer, backstabbers, murderers, adulterers, AIDS, sickness, famine, deceit, fear, greed...those things that mark humanity. We, who are idiotic and childish rebels against God, are the object of jealosy of ones we are not worthy to look upon? They? Who sit in winsome obedience to that same God, every beating moment? How can it be?

There is one thing that we have that they don't. One privilage, one gift, we have been given that they have not received. Yes, we have imperfection...but they know full well what kind of God we serve. They know that we serve a God of rescue, of grace, of compassion, of redemption. They know that with imperfection, comes the ability for restoration. This process of redemption that we enter into with Christ isn't just a forgiveness of sin...but the forgiveness of sin is a part of something even bigger. It is the scrapping of something old and the replacement of something new. Could it be...could it be...that this great mystery of God that is in every word of Scripture, every bit of beauty and every bit of ugly, in every breath of life, in every thought, in every molecule is a great story...not just of a people who rebelled and were forgiven, but of a people who get to reflect the depth of the nature of God by being fallen and then redeemed. And could it just be, that a perfect world, has nothing on a world that has fallen and been restored?

You know that it is true, somewhere deep down. It is written into our very lives. Ever noticed that funny way it works out that when God gets to work on the worst thing about you, it suddenly becomes the best thing about you? Ever noticed how a seed must die, to bring forth something so much greater than a mere seed could ever be? Could it be that the rare privelage of being renewed in Christ, is so much better than never having needed him? In the book of Genesis, we are given a wonderful garden. Ages later, after all these days of pain and war, the world is finally renewed...and as the book of Revelation has told us, we will be given a city. Something to think about.

I Peter 1:12:

10-12The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. The Messiah's Spirit let them in on some of it—that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves—through the Holy Spirit—the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this!

Remember how fortunate we are, my brothers and sisters, even the angels are jealous of us.