Dancing with Time

 

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life.  They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.  “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God.  And those who listen will live.   John 5:24-25

I’m not much of a dancer (just ask my bride).  One of the things I do know about dancing is the unquestionable reality that the music does end…eventually...even in the mid part of the last century, when marathon dance contests were held to choose a winner (namely the last couple still standing upright after hours and even days) of “dancing”.  The record, according to Guinness set just 2 years ago is 126 hours.  One of the strategies for lasting that long is for the partners to take turns napping while the other holds him or her upright.  Dancing to outlast the clock is something of a fool’s errand; you can’t outlast time and eternity.

That is the nature of Jesus’ statement to his followers, the time is coming.  At some point, which God alone will determine, the clock switches from time TO eternity.  And that is when the judgment will be finalized.  That is where the other statement in this text becomes crucial.  Jesus said, “And those who listen will live”.  It is important to point out that the listening Jesus mentions does not begin when that moment of resurrection arrives; it (always) begins the first moment you hear the truth.  The time for salvation which is acceptable to God is always right now.

For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.”  Indeed, the “right time” is now.  Today is the day of salvation.      2 Corinthians 6:2

There are those who reject this idea, imagining (if God does exist) that it’s automatic; you just live your life the best you can, and then God makes everything ok.  There’s nothing to do, no limits on life, no requirements for after this life. 

Those people are wrong.  Most people who reject the idea that time will run out on ignoring God have never read much Scripture.  Had they done so it would become alarmingly clear that this matter of time is crucial.  Dancing with time is a contest, and, make no mistake, time always wins.  Listen to the Psalmist:

I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.  Psalm 119:60

When you look at a cemetery, you know that time runs out.  People are laid to rest in places like that.  And to be sure, you have no partner in the grave to hold you upright; people are always buried laying down….the dance is over!

But, according to Jesus, the “rest” is temporary.  There is coming a time when the clock will again run out on the usefulness of graves.  At that point, the only thing that will matter is what God thinks of your life while you were still breathing.

For You Today

The old question is still a good one, and hasn’t changed, and it is particularly important when we think about this dancing with time we’re doing:

What will you say when you stand before God, and He asks you

‘WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO MY HEAVEN’?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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Title image, Pixabay.com and    W   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

For another post on John 5 see:  You Will Rest; You Will Rise   

 

The Sign of Jonah

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”  But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.  “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah.  Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.  The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon.  Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.         Matthew 12:38-42

To understand the sign of Jonah (a metaphor comparing the resurrection of Jesus with Jonah’s three-day ride inside God’s fish-taxi) we must understand to whom Jesus was talking.  Matthew tells us the group that came seeking a sign were teachers of the law and Pharisees; these were the religious professionals (clergy) of Israel.  The teachers of the law (rabbis) did just that, taught each jot and tittle of Scripture’s laws.  Their entire focus was zoomed-in on legal correctness, making certain no law was forgotten.  The Pharisees were more interested in living-out [applying] the law daily.  They took what the rabbis taught and tried to walk the tightrope of never crossing the line of transgression.  This group was made up of teachers of the law and keepers of the law.  Their tribe is legion to this day.

I recently had a conversation with a young man who had been raised in church but hadn’t been for some time.  It was a conversation that lasted awhile, and eventually turned to faith.  He explained that his main life’s goal was to treat other people like he wanted to be treated.  It was a golden rule approach of which the Pharisees would be proud.

This group of teachers and keepers of the law were also inspectors of anyone who infringed on their domain.  They came to Jesus looking for proof; they wanted a look at Christ’s credentials.  And so, Jesus held up Jonah and the queen of Sheba.  One was a Jewish prophet who had trouble obeying God’s command, but eventually had to repent and obey; the other was a non-Jew, and a woman, hardly representative of authority to rabbis and Pharisees, but displaying the utmost of wisdom when she came to sit at the feet of Solomon.

By holding up Jonah and Ethiopia’s queen as righteousness, juxtaposed to the rabbis and Pharisees who prided themselves on self-righteousness, Jesus turned everything upside-down.  And, the teaching for us is that the humility of repentance trumps the pride of righteousness every time.

Veiled [thinly] in Jesus’ teaching is the sign; the Lord is telling the teachers and Pharisees to watch for the humility of the grave to be overthrown with the power of God on the third day.  He was saying to them, you’re like little children if you don’t understand…you think you’ll be done with me if you put me in a grave…but you can’t keep God in a grave!

Here’s the apostle Paul’s commentary on the rabbis and Pharisees:

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction!  But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.  As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”                                             1 Corinthians 1:18-19

For You Today

If you’re like my young friend, trying to keep the Golden Rule, but forgetting the humility of worshipping the God of that Golden Rule, you’re missing true wisdom and the power of God.  Start looking at the third day’s empty tomb.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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Title Image:  Pixabay.com      Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For another post on 1 Corinthians 15 see Signs