Resurrection: "A good idea or a way of life?"
Acts 24:21 “unless it was this one thing that I shouted as I stood in their presence, “it is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.”
There are some things that just take it too far; there are some people that are just overboard, and when these things and people get out of control there is only one thing to do, get rid of them. After all, we pretty much have our world going the way we would like it, those of us that live in sub-urban America. We’ve got our walmart within 10 minutes along with other shopping; our kids are going to the “right” schools, and we have a tall enough fence and big enough garage that we barely have to associate within anyone except for our big screen tv and online shopping. The last thing we need is for this talk of resurrection and new life through Jesus Christ. Much like the jewish leaders in this text, we have to find a way to eliminate the likes of Paul within our society because it is the Paul’s of the world that upset our routine and bubble of a life. The irony though, is like the jewish leaders of this text, most of us claim to be a follower of the living God; but even though we don’t want to admit it, we want to be a follower of this Jesus without the resurrection; we want to follow the idea of Jesus. But yet, if we are baptized into the body of Christ we were asked a simple question, “do you believe He got up?” And most us, without really thinking what we were saying said, “yes.” So here we sit in our comfort of a bubble while the hurting, broken, lost, last, least, and lonely continue to be oppressed throughout this world and we don’t even realize that when we said yes to Jesus raising from the dead that we became the likes of Paul and took on the responsibility of partnering with God in loving the whole world to heaven. I wonder what God thinks about those of us that said “yes” to the resurrection but live lives that claim, “there is no way He got up; in fact, this notion of resurrection really gets in my way of pursuing my life?” I wonder if God will hold us accountable in claiming one thing with our mouths but living another with our lives? I wonder if this is one of the exact reasons Jesus came and died for our sins that in some strange way we would read a verse like this in the morning and be changed forever? I wonder if God knew that as Luke recorded this text that we would be here today struggling with this notion of resurrection and the impact that it has on every detail of our lives?
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into this world and showing us a different way to live. However, you must realize that we are not to sure about your way of life. In many ways our way seems to be better than yours. After all, we can guarantee a nice retirement account, a nice vacation, golf trips, shopping trips, a house that makes everyone else envy, cars that make us somebody and we don’t see that guarantee anywhere in scripture. But when we look at following you we really don’t see any of these benefits, after all, most of the followers in scripture really live lives that we don’t desire. They end up in jail, beaten, persecuted, poor, on the road, and most are put to death because they answered “yes” to the resurrection. We’re good with the resurrection as long as it doesn’t infringe upon the lives we constructed; I guess we are ok with the idea as long as we are not asked to bear witness in a way that leads to Paul’s situation. I don’t really know how else to say this, but we are not going to change unless you change us. Unless you come dwell among us and do a work in us that we cannot do ourselves we are not going to change. The only way we are going to be like Paul is if you kick us off our horse and blind us with the power of your grace and make us see as you see. You are pretty much going to have to die, rise from the dead, and then send your Spirit to dwell in us if you want us to be like you; otherwise we are never going to change. Come Lord Jesus, Come; blind us, change us, kill in the sin in us, and make us more like you! Amen!
Today I am reminded that I cannot change myself and it is only through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that God’s grace can change me to live and be differently in the world.
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