Hide and Seek with a Dead Man

There is a crazy contrast of life and death between two men in 2 Kings 13 and 2 Chronicles 24.  Elisha is the prophet of God who pursues God at all costs, and it costs him alot.  He lives a life of deep, personal faith in God.  He withstands tough trials, he takes on people who hate him for his trust in God, and he sees great works of God done through his hands.  And he dies.

Joash was a prince who became king of Judah.  He was only seven when he became king, and he reigned for decades.  He was guided by a priest named Jehoida, who loved God.  Under Jehoida's guidance, he turned the kingdom back to God, and had amazing success as a king.  He lived out a public faith, pointed people to God, faced tough battles with enemy armies, takes on other nations who hated God, and saw great works of God done through his hands.  And then, he died.

But when Joash died, it was ugly.  Jehoida, the priest, had died years earlier, and Joash quit following God.  In fact, he ran the other way, and abandoned God.  Because of this, he was wounded in battle, and then later killed in his own bed by conspirators.  His faith was wide, but not deep.  It was a faith to be seen, but not to be lived personally.  When he needed God's guidance the most, his weak faith did not carry him, and he died a broken ruler who lost his way, at the hands of assassins.

Elisha died of a disease that slowly took his life.  But, through it all, he maintained a trust in God that guided his heart and decisions.  He died at peace, and was buried.  Later, some friends were transporting a friend's body to a funeral.  As they went past Elisha's tomb, some robbers came by.  They stuck their friend's body in the tomb to hide it from the bad guys.  It touched Elisha's bones, and the guy came back to life.  Even in death, God's power and blessing stayed with Elisha's body.

That's a contrast.

Which are you shooting for?  A faith that is a Sunday faith, once a week, make everyone like you, and live life your own way the other six days?  Are you living off of someone else's faith?  OR, are you working out a faith through tough times and trials that is deep, and just by being around you, people gain new life?

Two similar but very different paths.  Which are you on?

Beep Beep

The craziest thing happened while I was sitting here. Jim's heart started beeping. Loudly. Jim is the pastor who shares the office with me, and apparently at 10:06 every morning, his heart beeps for 45 seconds very loudly. It was crazy! He explained it to me, it's his pacemaker. The thing is talking to him, because the battery is starting to wear out, and has to be replaced in the next two months.

First of all, having your heart beep at you, and I mean loudly beep at you, is freaky enough. But then to be told that the battery in it will only last two more months, that's some stiff news. Jim has to schedule an appointment to get his pacemaker replaced. Major surgery. Big time stuff.

Yet, Jim handles it all pretty well. I mean, I'm sure he worries about it at some level, but his faith seems to be carrying him along.

Now before we get all upset about Jim, we need to consider that the only difference between him and us is his heart beeps loudly. Listening to him explain what is going on reminded me that we all have a beeping heart at some level or another. Death is that topic we all hate to admit exists, yet it's simply a universal part of living. So, the real question is what do we do while our heart is still beating along? How do we invest our days? It's the age old question, yet it is still well worth asking. And answering.

Invest your day well today. After you read this, pray. Ask God what He has for you. Listen to what He says. The beeping is only the signal for a transition. What we do here carries on once we are done. Don't be afraid of what is coming. Let your faith carry you. But don't miss today either.

All things come to an end...

I read John 19 today, where Jesus is crucified and dies. His suffering so eclipses anything I will ever know, yet it is written about in such a short, quiet way. Even poetic John doesn't elaborate. You'd think that He would spend chapters on the death of Christ. But he doesn't. He only gives it 13 verses.

I think it is because they saw Jesus alive after that. He died, but then He didn't. I think if Jesus had died, and never returned, then John would have memorialized Him in chapter after chapter flowing about His death. But instead Jesus comes back and hangs out with them a few days later, and His death is almost forgotten. It's just a prelude to the resurrection. I get caught up in it because as much as I know better, I often picture Jesus dead. Don't get me wrong, I completely believe He's alive. I trust the resurrection with every fiber of my being. I'm staking my entire life on the truth of it. But I haven't seen Jesus alive. I can scientifically understand that He lived, and that the crucifixion took place. His death is logical; easy to accept. But this resurrection. That's the stuff of faith. So I have to constantly push myself further into it. One day, I too will be like John, no longer fascinated so much by the death of Jesus. I will see Him face to face, heart to heart. This will all fade. But sometimes, here, in this world of shadows, I have to push to be there.

Lysol Ain't Gonna Cut It This Time

Jesus gets down to business. He walks up to the cave where they have buried Lazarus, and tells them to take the stone away. So, here in chapter 11:38-44, the sisters have a choice to make. Jesus tells them to make some room for Him to work. Why didn't He just move the stone? He could have. But He tells the people to move the stone. It's up to the sisters, as Lazarus' family. What He is doing is wrong, according to their religious beliefs. Lazarus has been properly prepared, and buried. For them to touch the grave is equal to touching the dead body. Doing that would disqualify them from the Temple for a long time, with a detailed process to cleanse themselves spiritually. Martha reminds Jesus that Lazarus has been gone for four days. He's rotting. It's gonna stink. Are you sure about this, Jesus?

But then Martha or Mary one, we're not told, tells them to take away the stone. That's some really cool faith. These women get it. Once again, the Bible turns culture on it's head, showing that women were the ones of great faith in a time where women were considered objects to be owned. Jesus shows them as leaders, people who express incredible faith and are held up as examples.

Jesus' prayer is one for show. He admits it. He has already asked for God to raise Lazarus, and has His answer. The prayer here is merely for the benefit of the people standing there. Then He calls out loudly for Lazarus to come out. Again, why? He didn't need to. Lazarus wasn't far away. I think it's a show of power, of authority.

When he comes out, Jesus merely responds with "unwrap him and let him go." I'm sure the people there were screaming, terrified. He reminds them that it's Lazarus, and he needs help. He is always in control.

I wonder where I have a stone blocking Jesus' plans and dreams? I wonder what I have that Jesus is looking at me, telling me to move it? I know often I complain to Him that His plans are going to cause a stink if I do it. His reply is that if I want to see the glory of God, I'll have to be willing to stink a little.

Roll away the rock. I'm ready.

I Don't Like This Jesus Very Much

Lazarus is sick; really, really sick. His sisters send someone to Jesus to let him know that His friend is not doing well at all. And John 11 covers this amazing story. In the first 16 verses here, Jesus handles this whole situation in a way that is so completely and utterly different than us, it seems bizarre.

Consider what happens. Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick, and declares that it won't end in death. Lazarus is sick for one reason: so that God can be glorified through it. Not that Lazarus would grow stronger in his faith, not that he might be a light. In Jesus' view, it wasn't about Lazarus. It was about God. We don't like to hear that. We are willing to suffer if we get to play a starring role, or if we gain from it. None of that is found here. Lazarus is sick, and God will get the reward from it.

Jesus responds by blowing off his friends. He doesn't go. He loves them. Very much. Him not coming is going to cause them doubt and pain. They will be hurt and disappointed. He stays. Their feelings are not the ultimate decision in this. God's glory and plan is what drives it all. So Jesus takes actions that put the ones He loves into pain and uncertainty.

Then He calls His disciples to go back to the place of danger. They don't want to. He intentionally invites them to follow Him back into a place where they will likely be arrested, beaten, or killed. For no good reason. Jesus simply tells them that now is the time. There is only a window of time, and they need to go then. After two days of sitting by, suddenly they need to go right then.

Next, Jesus tells them that Lazarus is sleeping, and is speaking of his death. They think he is actually sleeping, because death for them was a terrifying thing. Christ here begins to change the way they understand death. He pushes them to reconsider the very basics of the world they know.

We hit verses 14 and 15 and Jesus says the most insensitive thing possible. "Lazarus is dead, and I'm glad I wasn't there." Why? So that they would comprehend God's power. They would believe, and God would get the glory. Jesus was glad He wasn't there to stop Lazarus' death?

Thomas pitches in at the end, "Let's go and die with him and get it over with". The scene ends with this melodramatic statement by Thomas, leaving us hanging.

Do you see it? Jesus doesn't act like we think He should, like we sometimes tell people He will, like we want Him to. He doesn't run to the rescue, He doesn't save us from pain, Mary and Martha are hurting, and He allows them to sit in it. Not because they lack faith, not because they are praying, but because Lazarus dying and them hurting will bring God glory. That is enough of a reason.

This seems crazy to us. But only because we fear pain and death. What if we didn't? What if we knew what God knows, just how temporary and short the whole thing is? What if we knew what awaited us, how amazing it is, and how forever the beauty will be? The pain is inconsequential then. God isn't mean, or selfish, or careless. He knows what the reality of life is beyond death, and how it completely destroys any of the shadows that we call joy or peace here in this life. So, yeah, He's not afraid of us suffering or dying if it will point people to Him.

Tough, but true.