The Message

I've been reading Eugene Peterson's Bible paraphrase, The Message, lately and it has some tough passages that have absolutely poleaxed me. Peterson tries to recapture the gritty, visceral feel the original marketplace Greek conveyed to a first century audience. And he rephrases things so that they aren't familiar but they mean the same thing. You can read a passage and not realize it's a verse you know by heart until you are finished getting hit with its meaning. This makes it fresh (and newly convicting) when you're reading something for the hundredth time.

The book of James has been especially stringent yet empowering at the same time. Here's a small sample from James 4:4-10:

"You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.

"So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet."