Jesus wanted to allow Lazarus to die so he waited four days before he went to him. If Jesus had been there when he was alive, a sick man would have been healed. This still would have been a miracle, but a lesser one. Some would have said, “Lazarus was sick and just got well; he would have recovered even it Jesus were not there.”
By letting him die and raising Lazarus from the dead he performed a much greater miracle, a 24 carrot gold miracle, a miracle almost as good as it gets. Who could argue with it?
The Pharisees could, and did. Their solution to the problem was to seek to put Lazarus to death (John 12:10). If you can't argue with the truth, avoid it.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Thursday, December 31, 2015
WHY NOT LIGHTNING?
Jesus was amid a turmoil when he was with us 2000 years ago. Some believed him and some did not. Many may have contended, “The Messiah is supposed to come from Bethlehem but this guy comes from Nazareth. This guy has never even been to seminary.” Perhaps these did not know that Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem. They certainly did not know he was God incarnate, one with the Father and Holy Spirit. The Pharisees wanted the people to believe as they believed and they used themselves as the example and reason: “Have any of us (the Pharisees) believed on him? We have all gone to seminary and are smart and understand what those who have not gone to seminary can understand. To know if you are correct in your thinking look at what the seminary graduates are thinking. But you people who do not have the training are cursed.”
We have doubts about things because we do not know all there is to know. Jesus appeared as if was not obeying the Law because of work he did on the Sabbath, yet he did a right thing when he healed a man on the Sabbath. It was right to do because God's intention for us is for wholeness. Many were seeking his harm: the religious leaders and even his brothers (the other sons of Mary).
Why would he choose to place himself in such a setting? Why not just come in lightning and power and destroy all who oppose him and whip the rest into submission? Because if he came that way most being sinners would die immediately, many others would die in a short while later, many would be miserable suffering stripes on their back. Only a few would be somewhat content, though walking on eggshells.
What did God want? His will was to demonstrate mercy. His will was that all should not perish, but should come to the knowledge of the truth. He came not to give stripes - - but by his stripes we should be healed.
This is an example of Gods great love and loving kindness - - by not sending lightning.
We have doubts about things because we do not know all there is to know. Jesus appeared as if was not obeying the Law because of work he did on the Sabbath, yet he did a right thing when he healed a man on the Sabbath. It was right to do because God's intention for us is for wholeness. Many were seeking his harm: the religious leaders and even his brothers (the other sons of Mary).
Why would he choose to place himself in such a setting? Why not just come in lightning and power and destroy all who oppose him and whip the rest into submission? Because if he came that way most being sinners would die immediately, many others would die in a short while later, many would be miserable suffering stripes on their back. Only a few would be somewhat content, though walking on eggshells.
What did God want? His will was to demonstrate mercy. His will was that all should not perish, but should come to the knowledge of the truth. He came not to give stripes - - but by his stripes we should be healed.
This is an example of Gods great love and loving kindness - - by not sending lightning.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
DON'T AVOID THE DRIPS
In the reading of one of my old journal entries I noticed two things. One of my tendencies at that time was to concentrate on failure. Another was that I was practicing piano.
My negative tendency then was to concentrate on what I did not do or what I did not do well. I would think about what I could have been and about what I am not. The effect was to make me not want to do anything at all; it made me want to give it all up. All this holding on to things perceived as failures or as incomplete were very sapping to my strength.
Yet in that same entry I recorded how I was becoming fairly good at elementary piano playing. I have no memory of ever being good at piano, but the Journal says I was. The only way I could have accomplished this was through persistent practice. Many times I did it only because I thought it might be something I wanted. Many times I wondered if this was a thing I could ever do - - or whether it would ever be worth the effort. But I knew I could never achieve anything id I did not take the little steps.
It's like drops in a bucket. If there are no drips the bucket will never become full. Want to be good at piano? Do the practice: drip, drip, drip. Want to get depressed? Think bad thoughts: drip, drip, drip.
So I need to press on through the failure. I need to turn my mind from failure to a worthy goal, whatever it may be. I need to overcome, overcome, overcome. Overcoming may not look pretty and glamorous; it does not even feel virtuous or victorious at the time you are doing it. The unimportant appearance of an overcoming task is a deception. We want the bucket filled with one sweeping, dramatic, Hollywood slosh whereas it is filled only one drop at at time. No drops, no filling. There will never come the Hollywood slosh.
My negative tendency then was to concentrate on what I did not do or what I did not do well. I would think about what I could have been and about what I am not. The effect was to make me not want to do anything at all; it made me want to give it all up. All this holding on to things perceived as failures or as incomplete were very sapping to my strength.
Yet in that same entry I recorded how I was becoming fairly good at elementary piano playing. I have no memory of ever being good at piano, but the Journal says I was. The only way I could have accomplished this was through persistent practice. Many times I did it only because I thought it might be something I wanted. Many times I wondered if this was a thing I could ever do - - or whether it would ever be worth the effort. But I knew I could never achieve anything id I did not take the little steps.
It's like drops in a bucket. If there are no drips the bucket will never become full. Want to be good at piano? Do the practice: drip, drip, drip. Want to get depressed? Think bad thoughts: drip, drip, drip.
So I need to press on through the failure. I need to turn my mind from failure to a worthy goal, whatever it may be. I need to overcome, overcome, overcome. Overcoming may not look pretty and glamorous; it does not even feel virtuous or victorious at the time you are doing it. The unimportant appearance of an overcoming task is a deception. We want the bucket filled with one sweeping, dramatic, Hollywood slosh whereas it is filled only one drop at at time. No drops, no filling. There will never come the Hollywood slosh.
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