Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks put the circumstances of our lives, both good and bad into God’s hands and help us see them through His eyes. Last night our beloved daughter-in-law Melinda slipped from this world into the presence of Jesus. And while we are overwhelmed with grief and shock, these words are promises to which we cling. Melinda has finished her race. Her battle with cancer is finished. And while that pernicious disease claimed her physical life, it could not touch her soul. That remained fully and exclusively in the hands of Jesus with whom she now lives. Nancy and I didn’t know how to process the news that came in three words. “She is gone.” Yet as sadness rolls over my heart I sense the message echo back from Heaven, ” She has arrived!”
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Luke 22:19 KJV
Just before Jesus went to the cross, He invited His friends to a private dinner, and there began to explain to them what was going to happen next by using bread and wine. Afterwards, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
“But if we are saved by faith.” You might ask, “Why do we need to follow a ritual?” We ask that because we think of remembering, as simply recalling facts, as when we memorize formulas so that we can pass the math exam. But the kind of remembering Jesus talked about was not just keeping all the details straight. Receiving communion is more like, when I remember my dad, every time I glance up at a photograph of him. That photo isn’t my dad, but it reminds me of seeing his smile, hearing his voice, and feeling His gentle hand on my shoulder. In the same way, we are doing more than just eating a piece of cracker and a drinking a cup of juice. Holy Communion reminds us of His sacrifice, helps us remember His voice in the words of scripture, and even gives us the sense of His hand on our shoulders giving us the strength to live our lives for Him.
Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32 ESV
Have you ever wondered if your prayers are making it past the ceiling or if God can hear you over the clamor of billions of other folks praying at the same time? Mary’s prayer gives me hope. It wasn’t long, it wasn’t eloquent, in fact, it wasn’t even original.! These were the exact words her sister Martha had used just a few minutes before. But Jesus did something many of us fail to do in a moment of someone else’s time of crisis or grief: He listened. He didn’t interrupt, correct or give advice. Jesus simply gave Mary space to voice her struggle with the terrible question of why.
After taking time to listen, Jesus did something encapsulated in the shortest verse of the Bible: He wept. His tears more than His words, brought healing comfort to Mary and her friends. Lazarus lay in the grave, and though Jesus knew what was going to happen next, no one else did. In our lives it is the same. We see, as Paul says, “through a glass darkly” Our understanding of the future is often clouded by the sorrows or struggles we are drowning in. And yet, our Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life, kneels down next to us, and weeps. Now, Jesus doesn’t do this because He doesn’t know what to do. He knows exactly what we need and what His plans are, but He takes time for us to look up to Him and then He begins to show us the way out.
“Where have you laid him?” Jesus asks, and they lead Him to the tomb. Only then, just outside the tomb, where their brother lay wrapped in graveclothes on a cold stone slab, Jesus takes command. “Take away the stone.”
“But Lord,” Martha informs him. He has been dead four days and (here I love the King James) “He stinketh!” Did you know that Jesus already knows how bad things smell in our lives. The death of our hopes and dreams have lain in the grave so long that they smell to high Heaven. But Jesus isn’t concerned about how bad our problems smell, He is concerned now about our obedience and faith. In the words of the hymn, this is the moment to “Trust and Obey>” Yes, Jesus listens, and yes, He weeps with us, but there also comes a time when we must obey, if we are to see the glory of God. What are you facing this morning? Is there a grief, a broken relationship, sickness or disability that has brought life to a standstill. Jesus is here, right now, and He will take time to listen, He will even take time to weep, and then as you trust Him, He will show you the next step to take. What a patient, compassionate, and mighty Savior we serve. I do hope you will enjoy this short message that was given yesterday at Life Care Center. Have a blessed day everyone!
I can’t explain how the hummingbird flies Nor why in the summer an ancient tree dies Or when at the dawn as I get out of bed Why deer creep to thickets to lie down instead
My life’s like a puzzle still missing a part` With questions of mysteries that stir in my heart When the voices of worries are filling my ear Above all their clamoring I can still hear His quiet voice that is calling me come And the sound of His footsteps leading me home
He comes and stands and He knocks at my door And offers to enter to heal and restore And when I ask Him why He gives such grace He points to the Cross where His love took my place
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? John 14:2 ESV
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