you see Jesus "saving"
you from this wicked world and delivering you to heaven someday, or do you
believe God shows up to "save" you to a better life today? Is
hanging out with Jesus all about getting your ticket "punched" for
heaven when you die or does living in Christ mean a new world here and now?
+++++
The encounter takes place in the
village of Bethany, not far from Jerusalem. Jesus, who is just days away
from being sold for silver and delivered into the hands of powerful, scared
men, has heard his friend, Lazarus, has died. So he and his disciples
show up in the village.
Martha, the sister of Lazarus,
runs out to Jesus. Jesus assures her that her brother will be raised to
new life, and Mary says she knows this will happen "on the last day."
New life will come, she believes, at the end of the age.
Jesus makes an astounding
claim. The Nazarene says, "I am the resurrection and the
life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live."
+++++
Some of us grew up with talk of
heaven dominating any talk about the blessing of being a person of faith,
saved, or twice born. "When We All Get to Heaven" we'd
sing. There was talk of golden streets and getting to worship God all day
long. (Honestly, the thought of an unending worship service -no
matter how inspired- left me wondering if that sounded like such a good
thing.) Some days in the summer I would look out the sanctuary windows,
and heaven looked like it was out there...with me on my bike, my dog Goldie running
alongside, and an afternoon at the beach. Preachers would talk about
being saved so we wouldn't cook in hell. Salvation was a ticket to a
better life someday after we died.
Jesus, in his comments to Martha,
reminds us that salvation is all about new life in the now. Things should
change -we should change- today with God! Jesus shows up and
life changes now...today.
If faith doesn't work today, if
our journey with God doesn't change who we are and how we live today, then
something is wrong. In fact, John Wesley pointed out that God not only
wanted to save individuals, God wanted to restore the world...save whole
communities. So when people decided to embrace God's way that meant that
employers treated their employees differently, families related to one another
differently, medical care was offered to those who had little or no
money. Even secular historians say that the Wesley revival in England had
a revolutionary impact on society.
So will our lives be different
today, will the street where we live and the nation we love, be different today
because we live as God's beloved, forgiven, called people?
Heaven will be cool. A lot
of worship and praise and light, the Bible says, and I am hoping for time at
some cosmic beach with a good book, a faithful dog, friends, and some fine
music. All of that and a ton of healing...unity...and time with
God.
But in the meantime, God wants to
bring heaven to earth...in us...through us. Justice, mercy, peace,
faithfulness, joy....that kind of thing.
Today, you see?
In Christ and for Christ,
Mark Fenstermacher
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