The Lord Will Be With You, Always

 I don't know about you, but when I hear that phrasing I always imagine it said with Obi Wan's voice when he says to Luke "The force will be with you, always".

Yesterday was May 4, or as the nerds call it, May THE 4th - Star Wars day. (May the 4th be with you?) You want to know what I found out last night? Most of you aren't nerds... oops.

I want this post to be an encouragement to you. To give you a little insight to the story of Star Wars, the thrust of the plot centers around "the force" - a mystical energy that binds all things together. It is impersonal (like the wind, or water, or gravity) but can be harnessed by certain individuals and used to do some pretty amazing things like jumping super high, running fast, moving things with your mind, or influencing the minds of others. Throughout the story we are introduced to two equal but opposing sides - the light and the dark side of the force. Those who use the light side of the force are called Jedi, and are generally considered to be the "good guys". Those who use the dark side are called Sith, and they are almost always the "bad guys" and are definitely evil.

Star Wars is the struggle between these two sides as they battle for control and dominance over the galaxy - the Sith want to rule while the Jedi want balance and peace. Its your average "good vs. evil" or "light vs. dark" story.

As I mentioned at the beginning, one of the characters, Obi Wan, is one of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy and he comes across Luke, who is found to be a powerful force user. Obi Wan takes him under his wing and trains him to better use the force, and as a Jedi, trains him to use the light side. As they are about to go into a dangerous mission, he encourages Luke by saying, "The force will be with you, always". This is a common phrase for the Jedi, as their whole philosophy involves meditating and understanding the force - in contrast with the Sith who just want to control it for their own gain. But when you think about it, that "encouragement" can be used for either side. Both the Jedi and the Sith are using the force, which is an impersonal energy that binds things together. It doesn't choose sides, and it doesn't favor one side over the other. It's not like the force is rooting for the Jedi in this cosmic battle - the force is with both sides.

Now, let's look at a real encouragement.

Matthew 28:18-20 - "And Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"

Jesus says this to His disciples just before He ascends into Heaven. He is sending them out on a mission to bring the Gospel message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ to the world. And His final encouragement to them is this: "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age". No matter what they face on this mission (persecution, rejection, sickness, or even death) Jesus promised that He would be with them through it all.

In Star Wars, this encouragement didn't mean too much (at least in my mind) since the force was used by both sides. The light side and the dark side were equal in power.

But in reality as we read through the Bible, we find that same struggle between light and dark, good and evil. We find Satan (the devil) fighting against Jesus. That struggle continues through today as Satan does everything he can to keep people from believing in Jesus. But there is a major difference between Star Wars and reality: Satan is not God's equal.

I think people can forget that Satan is a created being. He is not omni-present, omni-potent, or omniscient (that is, present everywhere, all-powerful, or all-knowing). Only God holds those qualities. What this means is that in the battle between good and evil, good is a lot more powerful than evil. These are not equal, opposing forces.

So when Jesus encourages His disciples by saying that He will always be with them, through everything, He is encouraging them with the knowledge that the all-powerful God is on their side. They are on the winning side.

That's the encouragement for us, too. Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ, and we are on the same mission He gave in Matthew 28:18-20. We are on a mission to share the Gospel with the world and lead others to faith in Jesus Christ. And as we go about that mission, we have the promise that Jesus is with us, fighting for us. And we are armed with the knowledge that He wins in the end. We are on the winning side.

So...

GO!

MAKE DISCIPLES!

TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS!

BRING THEM TO THE LIGHT!

Because as you go, Jesus is right there with you. He promised. And He always keeps His promises.

The Lord will be with you, always.