Death and Dying are contrasted with Life and Development. The key characters on stage in chapter 12 demonstrate this contrast. Lazarus, Mary, Jesus, the Crowd, the Disciples, the Greeks, the Pharisees, the chief rulers are on one side or the other. Lazarus had been dead is now alive, Jesus alive is soon to die. Mary gives her love and Jesus develops her life. The unbroken bottle had no fragrance, yet lots of fragrance comes after the bottle is broken. The people see Lazarus as a living spectacle, the chief priests see him as a statistic, a dead man. Some Jews believe and celebrate, the Pharisees continue dumbfounded and unbelieving, with lethal intent.
The choices are always these two opposites. To lose or to win (or gain). To “lose my life” is to die to self and personal ambitions, that which is about me, number 1. The emphasis by human nature is on winning, preserving what I can. Keep the bottle whole, keep the fragrance inside, protect the image and destroy everything that would get in the way. Or be broken and let the fragrance out. To lose my life, (to die), is to “find life”, to win, to tie into God’s purposes and glory, to view the big picture of everything that is eternal and to invest in that. Life and Light spring out from death and darkness.
There were those chief priests/Pharisees who refused to die to ambition, position, prestige, and success. Some believed privately. It’s easier to believe privately, to die privately. Nothing lost if things don’t work out. Ambitions, positions, prestige, successes are kept intact. No death necessary. No risk at stake. But no sweet fragrance released either.
The disciples were slow to get it. I’m one of those slow ones too. But I’m starting to get it. After this year I am beginning to understand what it means to die to “success” in replanting the Palmiste church. I was so sure this would happen-- for God’s Glory, of course. To experience the cold shoulder from those who were once warm and vibrant members of the family was hard on my reputation. To walk the streets of Rambert Village without the honor of position as a man of the cloth and be given the silent treatment seemed unfair. To Walk in the Light and pray a lot for answers with little visible results was frustrating. To experience the oppressive powers of darkness in an all out spiritual battle on every front (and winning) yet with no church growth was humiliating. But I’m starting to understand. The kernel has fallen into the ground, the outer shell is cracking. Fragrant Life will spring out of death and brokenness.
LaVern
Lavern, Thanks brother for your thoughtful insights. I, also, am one of the 'slow ones.' Praise God, the final verdict is not yet in. When we are revealed in Glory at Jesus' appearing (Col 3;1-3), the true Verdict will be on display. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteBoth you guys. Your stories encourage me. A few weeks ago I read through the gospel of John looking for every time he made reference to His coming death and departure from the world and from the presence of his disciples. It seems to be forever present in the mind of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteAnd something that has always troubled me about this is that, in the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus talks about his suffering and death on the cross as being his glory. That conflicted with my thinking because I thought I understood that humility and service and putting others first were the way to greatness and glory. They were the liver before the ice cream.
I think I'm starting to get it a bit better now. Jesus suffering and death for others IS His glory. That's it.
For me, then, service, putting others first, and learning true agape -- that is not the way to eventual glory. If suffering and death and loving others by putting them first is Jesus' glory, then it must be mine too. That IS my glory.
I love this lesson. I'm trying to learn it deeper so I actually live it. I'm only moving in baby steps, but it's an adventure.