| Fall Up - article by Joel Hempel
If you read last week’s article, you might remember it was entitled, Fall Down. The Wisemen modeled the unguarded recognition, and absolute respect accorded God in Christ. When I sent the article to a friend, he responded, “God’s name is trivialized so much these days that it means nothing to most people. I know my knees no longer buckle much at the name of Jesus.” I confess that my friend speaks for me as well. After eight decades of living with Jesus, preaching about Jesus, and talking with Jesus, he has become an old friend, a faithful and trusted companion. Of course, that’s not bad. Jesus is our Friend. But he is more, much more. He is God! Yes, someone could argue that technically, Jesus is not God but rather the human incarnation of God. Other theologians can duke it out over that debate. For me, Jesus – in the flesh – ascended and returned to the Father in Heaven (Acts 1:1-11). That makes him God! Why is it important to remember and hold tight to the truth that Jesus is the Almighty, the Merciful One who is Ever Present with commitment to be our Strength and Courage? Because we fall down, not because of Jesus’s might and glory, but because of our sin. We fall down and can’t get up – not on our own! We fail God and one another; we give into our broken and sinful tendencies, and invest far more in our material desires than in the mission Jesus gave his church. But Jesus our Lord makes us an offer we can refuse but would be foolish to do so: Fall up! The online WordSense Dictionary defines the phrase fall up as “To benefit in the long run from what seems initially to be a setback.” Jesus invites us to the hard work of self-reflection in light of God’s Word. Yes, we fall down and will continue falling down this side of heaven. But we can learn and grow from failing Jesus. Some believe – and I am one of them – that we benefit the most by falling on our faces – IF we are willing to do the hard work of learning from the pain. Think about some of the great sinners of Scripture: David, the adulterer and murderer; the woman at the well who failed at finding a good man until she was found by Jesus; Peter, the deserter and denier. With the power of God Almighty, they turned their lives around. These were common people who had an uncommon relationship with a God who loved them – the same loving and forgiving God-in-Jesus we have. If you have failed God, hurt others, slipped in your devotion to Jesus, or become entrenched in sinful behavior, thank God for not giving up on you. Thank him for what he is about to do in your life, for the hand-up he is about to give you. Look forward to falling up! | 
