The Blessed Soul

It All Fades Away

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 

 

Jesus said this toward the end of the second day of the passion week. 

 

But what does it mean? 

 

All day, Jesus spent time teaching his disciples. He talked bout taxes and Caesar, making sure to separate what is earthly and what is heavenly. He says the classic line to give unto Caesar what is Caesars, and unto God what is Gods. 

 

He talked about a tenants, who coveted a vineyard and all the wealth it was able to generate. In this story, the tenants mistreat, abuse, and even murder the owners men in order to try and keep it for themselves. This story revealed the greed of mankind. It ultimately illustrated a greed so deep that would cause the messiah to be put to death. 

 

He taught about the greatest commandments, and how they put God first, and ultimately love others as one might love themselves. 

 

He even took a moment to warn against teachers of the law, who walk around looking for notoriety, and honor. They make a name for themselves at the cost of others. 

 

While standing in the temple, they witness a poor woman bring her best offering and place it in the collection. Jesus points out how material possession and money, are nothing compared to heart. 

 

And as the day was coming to and end, the disciples and Jesus were leaving the temple. One of his disciples said to him, “look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”  This disciple was marveling at the material world and what it offered. 

 

All day long, this was the line Jesus walked the edge of in his teachings. Money and taxes, what belongs to God verse what belongs to man. The vineyard was a conversation about greed, and coveting wealth over human life. Even the teachers of the law and how they treated people - was Jesus’ analysis of what pride and selfishness do when they trump the spiritual well bing of others. 

Bear Much Fruit

As we enter into what’s known as the passion week, we will take a look at Jesus’ life, and how he spent the final week before going to the cross. This week is known as the passion week, because it refers to the events that lead to Jesus’ suffering, and why he was willing to do it. As we enter into this week, I hope to take you on a journey of seeing things through the eyes of Jesus. Remember that during this week particularly, Jesus was focused on the calling in front of him, to save mankind - and bring us back into right relationship with the Heavenly Father. I pray that through this week, you will find a new appreciation for what Jesus saw, and exactly how he thought of you! 

 

Episode 6

Mark 11:12-14

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. 

 

Wow! 

 

That seems a bit cold, doesn’t it. Just because there wasn’t any fruit on the tree, Jesus curses it and it never producers fruit again? Why did Jesus respond this way to a tree. Especially since Mark here notes that it was not even the season for figs. 

 

If it was out of season, why would Jesus expect there to be fruit. 

 

Fig trees are popular in this area. They are very full and obvious. Jesus here notices it from off the road. So he went over to it. But when he got there, he didn’t see anything but leaves. 

 

Fig trees are particular. They have season for fruit to grow. At the time of this event, this is not the season yet. It will happen a few months later in the year. What was Jesus expecting to see? If season wasn’t in place, why wouldn’t he understand that there would’t have been any fruits. 

Remove the Grave Clothes

 

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. 

 

Like  a scene from an old zombie movie, Lazarus didn’t just come out of the tomb. He was bound and wrapped. Cloth tied his hands together and kept his legs wrapped from moving. He had no freedom from the grave, it held him captive. And the grave clothes were tied as a symbol of his prison. Yet Jesus called to him, and he found his way out. 

 

But the way John begins this story, reveals the one who truly found freedom in this moment. 

 

John 11:1-2 says this, 

 

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 

 

Interesting. If you know the order of events here, at the time of Lazarus’s death, Mary hadn’t done this yet. So why does John place this detail out of order here? 

 

Perhaps the answer to that is in their interaction with Jesus when he arrived on the scene in Bethany. 

 

Both Martha and Mary have a similar statement to Jesus when they see him, 

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They have both resigned themselves to the fact that Jesus could have, yet he didn’t. He could have saved Lazarus from death, but he failed to come to them. He left them alone to figure it out without him. 

Hope and Patience

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 

 

Romans 8:24-25

 

Hope.

 

That’s kind of a scary word isn’t it?

 

I think sometimes we think that in order to have hope, we have to have it all together somehow. But the truth is, hope is believing in something we do not see. When we don’t see something, the hope is that we will see an answer that doesn’t make sense. Inside of that, God doesn’t expect that we have it all figured out. We just simply wait for it with patience. 

 

Also a confusing word. 

 

Patience doesn’t mean we don’t have questions. It simply means we can accept and tolerate what is happening. 

 

Martha met Jesus as he came into Bethany. Lazarus had been daed four days at this point, and she was working through her feelings. Listen to what she says to Jesus in John 11:21-22, “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 

 

Do you hear the conflict from within her? 

 

She is let down. 

 

She is confused and hurt. 

 

Yet she has hope - even though she can’t see any sort of answer. 

 

Jesus tells her, “Your brother will rise again.” 

 

Martha answered, I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 

 

Jesus is separating what she believes, from what she is working through. And she answers with complete certainty. “Yes, Lord. I believe that you re the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Waiting 2 Days too long

Why didn’t he go right then and there? 

 

That’s all I could think after reading John 11:6 which says, “So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “let us go back to Judea.” 

 

Let me get this straight John, you are telling me that Jesus loved Lazarus so much, that when he heard he was sick, it impacted him so much that he stayed where he was for two more days. That doesn’t make any sense! 

 

Have you ever felt like you were looking for answers from Jesus and instead you got the opposite of an answer. You were hoping he would resolve something but instead you just had more questions. This is one of those moments! If Jesus was so concerned, if he really loved Lazarus so much, why wait? Why not hurry off to him? 

 

What we read next might seem calloused of Jesus. 

 

Listen to verses 11-14

 

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 

 

His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 

 

So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 

Let’s go and die!

This week we are talking lessons from the life of Lazarus. As we discussed in yesterday’s podcast, Jesus’ response to this situation should be looked at through the lens that he is mentally, spiritually, and emotionally preparing for the mission he is soon to accomplish. His focus is more towards mankind, than a single person in this stage of his ministry. So we continue reading John 11:5-9

 

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more day, and then said to his disciples, “let us go back to Judea.” 

 

“But Rabbi”, they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tired to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

 

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” 

 

What is Jesus saying? 

 

I can imagine that the disciples heard these words of Jesus and had no idea what it all meant. While you and I sit on the other side of this story, they were watching it all unfold, completely unaware of what the next few weeks was about to hold for them. 

 

I think in this moment, the disciples were looking for reassurance and certainty. So much had happened, that they were confused, a little worn out, and ready for resolution to the conflicts around them. Jesus had been targeted by religious officials. The political leaders had an eye on them. There was pressure all around them. 

 

Have you ever felt that before? 

 

Sometimes in life we can feel pressure bearing down on us from every side. Jesus and his disciples knew what this was like. I’m sure at this point in their time together, the disciples listened intently to Jesus, and at the same time, kept one eye open. Always aware of who was around them, and what the temperature of the crowd was. It was exhausting. 

 

I’ve been there. You know, one of those times when you are done! Tired of watching and waiting. Tired of always looking for an answer - only to keep looking.

 

So when Jesus responds by talking about 12 hours of daylight, and walking and stumbling in darkness, I can feel the exasperation of the moment. It’s the kind of moment that one might be tempted to say, “Really! Can’t you just answer simply. Tell us what is going to happen and what we should do.” 

 

I’ve been in that spot so many times! I’m waiting for an answer. I’ve tried to faithfully follow and do what I know is right. Yet I’m worn out. I don’t see any resolution. Really, Jesus was giving a big picture answer to a specific momentary problem. 

 

So when we get to Thomas’ response, I resonate with him! Listen to what he says in vs. 16 - “Then Thomas said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 

 

I see him wide eyed, holding his breath as Jesus talks, shoulders slightly raised, as he leans in expecting answers. But then turning to his peers with a sense of sarcasm and frustration - Hey, let us go with him, that we may all die. . . . 

The One You Love Is Sick

Lord, the one you love is sick. 

 

Imagine these words, as they hit Jesus’ ears in that moment. 

 

To you and me, we hear those words and think of the honor Lazarus sat in. What a special family we are dealing with. It’s clear that in John’s assessment, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus hold a special place with Jesus. And this must have been an obvious fondness, because the very John who wrote this gospel, often referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. This means that at the time when John wrote these words, he also understood the symbolism behind what was taking place. 

 

Because while you and I hear the report  - that the one Jesus loved, was sick. Jesus, being fully God - had a piece inside of him that said - I know. . . That’s why I’m here. 

 

John 11:1-3 tell the story like this. 

 

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 

 

While John paints a great picture of the special relationship Jesus had with them, he has to put his earthly feelings on hold, as he answers a higher purpose. Sure Jesus loved Lazarus. He has a special place for Mary and Martha, but when he hears these words, he is reminded of his mission. 

 

What mission is that? 

 

To save the world. 

Top Of The Hill

As we walked up the trial, we could see the end towering above us about a mile above the rocky terrain. But the problem is, we could see it the entire time. The straight uphill, rocky trail, combined with the hot beating sun, seemed to make every step feel twice as heavy and labored as it should have been. And as we weaved back and forth, through the winding trail, the end seemed to remain stationary, marked where we could see it, yet always out of reach. 

 

And the more we focused on the ending of the trail. The further away it seems to be. 

 

It was like, we were working hard to get somewhere, yet never getting there. We were clawing and climbing, with no sense of accomplishment. 

 

My youngest looked to the top, and gave up. He could take no more. 

 

And in a moment of shear exhaustion and frustration, he became too weak to carry on. 

 

Then came the question I dreaded, and yet expected. . . 

 

Dad, will you carry me on your back. . . . 

Perfect Fearless Love

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

 

1 John 4:18

 

Have you ever been afraid to let someone down? 

 

That’s a natural feeling we all have when we love someone. 

 

But have you ever been scared to let someone down? 

 

I’ve talked with people who grew up on edge, always scared that they would disappoint, or upset a loved one. This fear drove them to walk on eggshells. They were always tip toeing around subjects and trying to avoid raw feeling. And as time went on, they learned to internalize, suppress, and even ignore how they felt. This drove them to a point of suppressed emotion. And left them unable to deal with their own feelings. 

 

Somewhere in this scenario, love was absent. 

 

We just read what John said. 

 

There is no fear in love. But perfect love, casts out fear. 

 

How? 

 

Perfect love has room for conflict, 

 

Perfect love has room for expression

 

Perfect love has room for apology, and reconciliation, and raw conversation. 

 

A relationship that doesn’t have room for disagreement, isn’t a relationship built in love. When we love someone, we should be able to go to them and express how we feel, without being made to feel stupid, or worthless, or like we are a disappointment. 

Wash my head as well

I’m a Mess!!!!!

 

I get so easily frustrated, 

 

I lose my temper, 

 

I can be really selfish, 

 

The smallest things seem to annoy me

 

Patience was never one of my strengths

 

I have low self esteem

 

I can’t focus long enough to always see things to completion.

 

I can be mean 

 

I never stop to admit when I’m wrong

 

I don’t put others first

 

The list goes on and on! 

 

Have you ever felt like, it’s just not fixable? If I were to change everything about me that was messed up or wrong, where would it stop? 

 

There is an interesting conversation with Jesus and Peter in John 13. In this moment, Jesus is talking to his disciples and he washes their feet. This was something that was done as a very humble act. If people of prestige or honor came to your house, you would wash their feet. And you certainly wouldn’t let them wash yours. So when Jesus gets to Peter, he refuses to let Jesus wash his feet. 

 

Jesus says, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me. 

 

Then, Lord, Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”