God's Love

The Macro And The Micro

Scientists every day report their discoveries of the unimaginably vast and the unimaginably small. We become accustomed on the one hand to the enigmas of space, and on the other to the investigation of DNA and the secrets of human life. Can God's love be less all-encompassing?

Macro and micro are terms in modern language which derive from the Greek - makros (long, large) and mikros (small). They creep into our daily speech - the microwave, the microphone, the microscope, the micro-processor... and in gardening catalogues, the cupressus macrocarpa - a Californian cypress with a crown of large spreading branches. As part of a compound word, macro denotes something which is long lasting or large scale. For example, 'macroeconomics' is the study of large scale and general factors such as interest rates (as manipulated by the Bank of England to control inflation).

Micro means very small or of reduced size, even one millionth. 'Microeconomics' considers the effects of single factors and individual decisions, what the businessman does down our street. The extent of God's love can similarly be seen as macro or micro - His great over-arching plans of creation and salvation on the one hand, on the other His personal concern for the daily problems of 'little ones' or even 'sparrows'.

Makros in Greek can be combined with thumos to create a term which expresses one aspect of God's love, makrothumia - being long-tempered, long suffering, having a 'long fuse'. God endures the existence of evil because by so doing He gives an opportunity for repentance. "Do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (Romans 2.4). God is not slow about his promise that our Lord will return, "not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3.9). Makrothumia is looked for in Christians. It shows itself as the steadfast spirit that will never give in. The Christian watches with makrothumia for the Lord's return, just as a farmer watches for his crops to grow and mature (James 5.7-10). Makrothumia involves a refusal to hit back in anger, a quality needed in the minister and the preacher (2 Cor.6.6; Titus 2.2). It is a constituent of love, and a fruit of the spirit. It comes from God, who Himself bears with the sins and follies and disobedience of men. It was a patient love like this which welcomed back the Prodigal Son when he was yet a long way off (makran).

God's great love extends to little people. There are the little ones who believe in Jesus (Matthew 18.6; 11.25). His disciples were simple people, not specially wise or well versed in scripture, not students. But they had that quality that they really trusted Jesus, like thousands of ordinary believers since. He had a special love and concern for these little ones who believed in Him. His Father had revealed these things to babes, not the clever and calculating. Their love rose up in response to His love.

These simple disciples Jesus termed a little flock. They should not be afraid.

God in His love had given them the kingdom. This was not necessarily to make them great rulers in the kingdom as James and John and their mother expected, but rather that the kingdom belonged to them. They owned it, like the poor in spirit, as assured beneficiaries, nurtured by the King's love, having peace, receiving blessings from the King of love who was their shepherd. It is those who receive Jesus as a little child who belong to the kingdom, whether then or now or in the age to come.

In Revelation 3.8 the Lord speaks to those who have little strength. In spite of weakness they have obeyed his teaching, and they did not deny Him when they were threatened or attacked. Their hearts belonged to the King whatever betide. The promise to them was continuing opportunities to serve Him - an unshuttable door! Their enemies would come to acknowledge that God loves them. They would be kept from the trials and tests coming upon the world.

But they must 'hang on' till the Lord comes. Then they will be permanent parts of God's temple, identified by His name 'written' upon them, identified as belonging to the new Jerusalem, identified by Christ's own new name. These little people are part of the Lord's universal purpose.

It is heart warming to go through scripture and pick out the references to God's universal love, and so often the micro is blended with the macro. Think for example of Psalm 102.25-27. "Of old thou didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They will perish, but thou dost endure... thou art the same and thy years have no end. The children of thy servants shall dwell secure..." Our personal security is linked to the Creator who lives into eternity.

Or Ephesians 2.4-7: "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive with Christ... and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Or even John 3.16: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" - the macro - "that whoever believes in him" - the micro - "should not perish but have eternal life".

God's personal love at the micro level is astounding when we consider the sweep of His vast purposes in creation. How is it possible for Him to care about us individually, personally? Yet we have the statements in scripture:

"As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him, for he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103.13,14).

"Thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb...Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them" (Psalm139. 13,16)

"Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you" (1 Peter 5.7)

"For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every, son whom he receives" (Hebrews 12.6).

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Cor.5.17).

"You are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10.31)

"I will love him and manifest myself to him" (John 14.21).

In our amazement we might feel that these aspects of God's love are incompatible - the universal sweep of the macro, the intimacy of the micro. But it is not so. Our enquiring minds cannot dissect the mind of the Creator.

We simply have to accept what He has done and will do. "For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy. 'I dwell in the high and holy place..' of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite '." (Isaiah 57.15)

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