A S P E C T S - a monthly devotional journal For subscription information on receiving Aspects every month via e-mail, or the laser-printed edition by mail, see NOTES, COPYRIGHT & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION near the end of this file. Aspects is written by David S. Lampel. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Issue #19, June 1992 (Internet Edition) T H R E E L I V E S R E S T O R E D ----------------------------------------------------------------- In this issue: Perspective - A Life Forgiven Perspective - No Man Condemns You Perspective - A Life Returned Perspective - Taking Up Residence Perspective - A Life Restored ----------------------------------------------------------------- When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."(1) When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.(2) Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."(3) _________________________ For twenty years I had yearned for the seasons of my youth--the four seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring. In the luxuriant colors of my memory, they were bold demarcations, breaking up each year into manageable varieties. In the urban monotones of Southern California, my rapidly aging memory could still invoke the fresh smells of spring, the thick heat of a Midwestern summer, the musk of autumn's gathered leaves, and the crisp brilliance of winter's carpet of snow. Yet with all these vivid recollections, I was still taken aback by the explosive regeneration that recently took place around me. After a winter season painted mostly in drab browns, the world has sprung back to life, and is once again beautifully green. Trees that looked as if they were irretrievably dead have burst out in foliage so alive that its color hurts the eyes; comatose lawns and fields are once again carpets of soft grass that now (sigh) require frequent mowing; and once-frozen bulbs and seeds have pierced the muddy soil to decorate the new earth with spashes of color. Winter is now a fading memory being quickly replaced by the new life springing up around us--a transformation not unlike that Jesus performed on a special few with whom He came into contact. Just as spring restores life to an earth weary of winter, Jesus restored life to those desperately in need of His healing touch. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective A L I F E F O R G I V E N ------------- Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner." Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." -LUK 7:36-50 NIV _________________________ Every woman was once a girl--every prostitute began life in innocence. It was the custom in Jesus' time to allow needy people to attend banquets, such as the one described in LUK 7, to be on hand for any leftovers.(4) The woman was aware of this custom and took advantage of the opportunity to get close to Jesus. So who was this woman? From the passage we can glean that she * was probably a prostitute. Luke uses his word of choice for one guilty of gross immorality; further, her unbound hair would indicate this reputation.(5) * knew who Jesus was, possibly from hearing one or more of his public discourses, since she attended the banquet specifically because of His presence. * had a broken, repentant heart, as evidenced by her quick tears and the acts of submission of kissing His feet and wiping them with her hair. * believed that Jesus was the Son of God, since He said to her, "Your faith has saved you." Jesus has a way of cutting through to the essentials. Time again, in Scripture and today, He ignores the facades and barriers we construct about ourselves and others, to examine the unadorned truth of our hearts. What He finds there--not on the surface--dictates His response. So one evening long ago, a woman who had become accustomed to a life of sin opened her heart to the Savior. Because she allowed Him to enter, she was restored to a long-forgotten purity. Playing the Part ---------------- There are three principal roles in this drama: Simon, the sinful woman, and Jesus. Have you ever been in the role of Simon, the Pharisee, displaying a critical, unforgiving spirit toward someone obviously in need of compassion? Have you ever found yourself in the role of the one guilty of immoral sin, kneeling in submission at the feet of Christ? Have you ever displayed toward another, the forgiving compassion that Jesus showed this woman? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective N O M A N C O N D E M N S Y O U ------------- There was another time when Jesus forgave the sins of an immoral woman--the woman about to be stoned because she had been caught in the act of adultery. Imagine, if you will, a modern setting for this story from John's Gospel. Imagine Jesus walking the earth in our time, instead of almost 2,000 years ago. And imagine this woman feeling the stones of our own hypocrisy and the loving forgiveness of the Savior. "I met Him at our church picnic. Most of the members thought I wouldn't show up at all, but I did. You can't really blame them. There was more gossip in the church about me than anyone else--and most of it was true. In fact, there were some things they hadn't even discovered yet. "You see, I've never been what you might call a...virtuous woman. I've had several husbands--and many in between. People like to talk--and usually they do. So when I joined this church word got out really fast. "I was at the bottom. I was sick of my life and sick of the consequences. I needed to start fresh--start over. And I thought, where better than a church. Oh, they let me stay and they shook my hand and once in awhile even gave me a little hug. But I could feel their uneasiness. Most of them wished I would just slip away and never come back. "Well, I didn't do that. And I even went to the picnic. "Jesus was the guest of honor (though many were as uneasy around Him as they were around me). He had a wonderful time. He joined in the sack-race, dunked for apples, played with the kids...... "It was later in the day that it happened. Most of the adults were sitting around the picnic table drinking coffee and chatting about the weather. Jesus was in the middle of them-- I was off to the side. The talk got around to the church membership--and I guess they didn't notice me there. One of the board members, thinking to impress Jesus, said something about how fine and upstanding the membership used to be--before, that is, certain elements slipped in. Then one of the women quickly agreed, even mentioning my name. "I was so embarrassed, I just wanted to run away. But I was frozen--I couldn't move. I hoped no one would notice me--especially Jesus. I didn't want Him to see me. "But He did. "There was nervous laughter round the table, but Jesus didn't join in. Suddenly it was quiet. In a strong voice, Jesus said: 'If any one of you is without sin, let him be the one to condemn this woman.' "No one spoke. In fact, some got up and slipped away from the table, ashamed. Jesus turned, and with such tender love and compassion, he smiled at me and said: 'No man here condemns you. And neither do I. Go, and leave behind your life of sin.'"(6) _________________________ Cleanse Me Search me, O God, and know my heart today; Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me; Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free. I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin; Fulfill Thy word, and make me pure within. Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame; Grant my desire to magnify Thy name. Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine; Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine. Take all my will, my passion, self and pride; I now surrender, Lord--in me abide.(7) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective A L I F E R E T U R N E D ------------- They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. -MAR 5:1-20 NIV _________________________ Jesus had experience with demons. He knew the torment they could bring--especially to one in a weakened state.(8) He also knew they were no match for the power of God. Notice how calm He is in dealing with them--particularly during a similar event earlier in the synagogue at Capernaum.(9) Calmness, however, is not the same as timidity. When faced with the powers of Satan, Jesus demonstrates (maybe for our benefit) a confidence that comes from being in the right.(10) With strong assurance, Jesus gives the demons permission to kill a herd of swine instead of the poor man they had been inhabiting. Compare the before and after pictures of this character. Before: * Lived alone and naked in the rock-cut tombs * Out of control, and strong enough to break out of chains and irons * So tormented by the evil dwelling within, that he would spend his days screaming and cutting himself with sharp stones After: * In his right mind * Quietly sitting, instead of running around shrieking at the top of his lungs * Dressed, and prepared to return to society What made the difference? Jesus Christ. What will always make the difference? Jesus Christ. When Jesus does a work in us, do we beg to climb into His boat? Do we have an insatiable hunger to spread the good news of His healing to others? How has Jesus restored you to your right mind? _________________________ "Satan, the great adversary, directs all his energy to prevent men becoming the subject of that illumination of which the gospel, as the revelation of the glory of Christ, is the source."(11) Into the Word ------------- Where else in Scripture do demons--or Satan himself--confess their knowledge of Jesus as the Christ? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective T A K I N G U P R E S I D E N C E ------------- We should never forget that Satan and his minions are alive and active all about us. The apostle Peter tells us to be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.(12) People can and do become possessed by demons still. But it may be difficult for some of us to identify with a madman raving naked about the tombs, slashing himself bloody with stones. We've never seen a young girl twist her head all the way around and spit up green pea soup. It's easy to say that these situations have nothing to do with us. Satan, however, has many beguiling tools tucked into his kit bag. Whether Satan himself, or something sent to do his bidding, what other "demons" can possess you, thereby alienating you (even for a little while) from the love of Christ? How can you break out of these "possessions" and be restored to your former walk with Christ? _________________________ A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery: I said, "In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?" I said, "I will not again see the LORD, the LORD, in the land of the living; no longer will I look on mankind, or be with those who now dwell in this world. Like a shepherd's tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom; day and night you made an end of me. I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me. I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am troubled; O Lord, come to my aid!" But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living--they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD. -ISA 38:9-20 NIV _________________________ Abide With Me Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me! I need Thy presence ev'ry passing hour. What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's pow'r? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Thro' clouds and sunshine, oh, abide with me! I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still if Thou abide with me! Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine thro' the gloom, and point me to the skies. Heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee! In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!(13) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective A L I F E R E S T O R E D ------------- 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." When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." 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." Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. "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." Jesus said to 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. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." -JOH 11:1-44 NIV _________________________ Some observations: * The disciples are still not grasping the concept. Jesus tells them something in the abstract ("'Lazarus has fallen asleep'"), and they take it as the literal ("thought he meant natural sleep"). But should we throw stones? Do we grasp immediately everything God tells us? I rather think we are like the apostle Paul: For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.(14) * The two sisters are still in character: Both love Jesus as their friend and Lord, but Martha, the more aggressive, runs out to meet Him along the way while Mary, the more introspective, stays at home. * See how Jesus loves Lazarus and his family, deeply moved and troubled by their sorrow, and weeping openly for his friend Lazarus.(15) * See how He loves you and me. Lazarus was Jesus' close friend, and He had it in His power to prevent his friend's death. But so that His disciples, the people in attendance, Mary, Martha--and you and me--could know that He is truly the Son of God, He tarried, allowing His friend to experience several days of death and the tomb. * Jesus (again, for our benefit) displays perfect faith. It isn't necessary for Him to pray for the heavenly Father to raise Lazarus. Jesus knows that it will happen. Instead, He thanks His Father for hearing His prayer. So that He, with loud confidence, can order Lazarus to "come out!"(16) Restore Unto Me . . . --------------------- Let's make this personal; Scripture is of little value if its lessons are not written into our lives. Let's apply these three experiences to our own life experiences. At Simon's house, Jesus forgave the woman's life of sin. In addition to the moment you accepted Christ, have you ever found yourself in a similar position? Jesus released the man living in the tombs from the bondage of demons. Have you ever required the Lord to free you from the hold of Satan? Assuming you have not had a near-death experience, can you recall a time when you felt dead toward Christ and needed Him to pull you out of the "grave?" _________________________ We've looked at three instances of Jesus restoring everyday people to life. In the first, a woman was restored to a life of purity; her sins were forgiven--forgotten, as if they had never happened. In the second, a tormented man was restored to a life of sanity and peace, instantly purged of the "legion" of demons that had taken up residence inside him. And in the third, a man already dead was restored to breathing life, thereby becoming a tangible expression of the resurrection of Jesus and the bodily resurrection of all those who call upon His name. What can we carry away from these stories? What can we put in our pocket as a keepsake? One answer might be this: In each case, Jesus ministered to a particular need in that person. We serve a personal God who cares about each one of us as an individual. When we have sinned, He forgives us. When we have been overtaken by Satan, He rescues us. When we meet death, He is there to restore us to life. ======================================================================== NOTES, COPYRIGHT & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Notes ----- 1 from LUK 7:36-50 2 from MAR 5:1-20 3 from JOH 11:1-46 4 The Expositor's Bible Commentary (Zondervan, 1984), Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, Volume 8, p.903. 5 Ibid. 6 No Man Condemns You, Copyright c 1987 David S. Lampel. #AR1 in the His Company Catalog; order collection #MCR5. Based on JOH 8:2-11. 7 J. Edwin Orr, Hymn #438 in The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration (WORD, 1986); based on PSA 139:23. (This would be a good hymn with which to begin every day.) 8 see MAT 4:1-11, MAR 1:12-13, LUK 4:1-13. 9 MAR 1:21-28. 10 As suggested in the March 1992 issue of Aspects (It Is Written), an excellent resource for this subject is The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson (Harvest House, 1990). 11 Charles Hodge in More Gathered Gold (Evangelical Press, 1988), p.280. 12 1PE 5:8 13 Henry F. Lyte, Hymn #419 in The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration (WORD, 1986). 14 1CO 13:12 NASB. 15 "Up to this point he had been perfectly calm . . . but when Mary appeared, crushed with sorrow and accompanied by the waiting mourners, Jesus was moved with deep emotion. His feeling is expressed by three words: 'deeply moved,' 'troubled' (v.33), and 'wept' (v.35). The first of these (enebrimesato) means literally 'to snort like a horse' and generally connotes anger. It could not have indicated displeasure with the sisters whom he was trying to comfort and for whom he felt the strongest compassion. Perha ps it expressed his resentment against the ravages of death that had entered the human world because of sin. "The second word, 'troubled' (etaraxen), expresses agitation, confusion, or disorganization. Here it implies agitation rather than complete confusion. Jesus was not apathetic or unnerved by the prevailing mood of sorrow. Lazarus had been a beloved friend, and Jesus shared in the common feeling of grief over his death. His human feelings were normal and are revealed by the crisis of the moment. Overcome by emotion, he gave way to weeping. Will iams's translation reads: 'Jesus burst into tears.' His grief was spontaneous. Yet the word (edakrusen, 'wept'), means to shed tears quietly. It may be contrasted with the loud and ostentatious 'weeping' (klaiontas) of the hired mourners (v.33), which was artificial." Merrill C. Tenney in The Expositor's Bible Commentary (Zondervan, 1984), Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, p.119-120. 16 "The words spoken were brief, direct, and imperative and can be paraphrased, 'Lazarus! This way out!' as if Jesus were directing someone lost in a gloomy dungeon." Ibid, ibid, p.121. Copyright Information --------------------- All original material in Aspects is Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel. This data file is the sole property of David S. Lampel. It may not be altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice (i.e., "Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel."). This data file may not be used without the permission of David S. Lampel for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold. This includes all of its content. Brief quotations not to exceed more than 500 words may be used, with the appropriate copyright notice, to enhance or supplement personal or church devotions, newsletters, journals, or spoken messages. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture is from the New International Version. NIV quotations are from the Holy Bible: New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. NASB quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. 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