JESUS, MAGGOTS,…AND PEARLS FOR PIGS…(casting bread has no prejudice)

by johnedoe

SO, LAZARUS WAS THE DEAD AND ROTTING AND HOPELESS GUY THAT JESUS BROUGHT BACK FROM DEATH,……

JESUS TOLD THE DISCIPLES TO,….”MOVE THE STONE AWAY”,….FROM THE,….”GRAVE IN WHICH HE WAS TRAPPED”,……

Jesus then said IN A BIG AND POWERFUL AND LOUD WAY!,..(actual phrase is, “He cried with a loud voice) “LAZARUS, COME FORTH!,…correct? Or, another view could be,…“UP OUT OF THE NASTY, COLD, DARK PLACE WHERE YOU ARE NOW.”

Lazarus wasn’t asked,…..he was COMMANDED to,….and TOLD TO,….COME TO GOD/JESUS…

Now, does that sound like Jesus was being just a little bit “BOSSY!!!???” If we “wanted” to think that, we could.

ACTUALLY, IF WE “CHOSE TO”, WE COULD SAY THAT THIS GOES AGAINST OUR FREE WILL???? RIGHT??? But if and when we “choose” to believe this to be “oppositional” to our freewill, in reality,…it “proves” our freewill. I mean, we CHOSE/CHOOSE to believe, right?

So, did Lazarus have “freewill” since he was “commanded?” let’s take a look at Lazarus and who he is, and was. As well as what may have brought to the situation that he is in. I think we may find out a special little something about him, that can and will, show us a whole lot about ourselves!? But before we go on, I want, or maybe need to remind you that Lazarus was Jesus’ “greatest miracle.”

Why was Lazarus Jesus’ GREATEST miracle? Jesus brought him back from the dead, right? We could argue that Jesus brought back the Jewish ruler’s twelve year old daughter from the dead too. What about her? Why would she not be an “equally” great miracle??? Well, since we’re talkin about her now,….we’ll go to “her house” and take a closer look at another time…back to laz…

Fact is that Lazarus was probably very, very, very, miserable,…and very lonely,…(not to mention how bad his life STANK,…or the “maggots” that were, second by second CONSUMING WHAT WAS LEFT OF HIM) in that cold, lonely, dark, stinking place the he was laying, WRAPPED UP (IN HIMSELF) LIKE A MUMMY FROM HEAD TO TOE,…(hey, I have felt that way in my life, too. And it sucked)… So, where am I going with this!? Right here…

I think Lazarus wanted to get to Jesus (the light) as quickly as possible! The trade of death and decay for hope and peace (and no more maggots) sounded REALLY GOOD TO HIM! And all is happy… THE END.  oooooooooppppppssss,….not yet…

LAZARUS, along with his faith in “What” and “Who” was calling him,…had to put forth effort. He had to act on his want to get OUT OF THE HOLE HE WAS IN,….(wow, I have felt that way too),……in movies they have him walking from the grave up the sharp stone steps that led “down” into it,…but that is in no way accurate as to the description in the story of the new testament,…read on…

So, long story,…longer,…Lazarus was laying on a cold stone slab (no, not the “coldstone” that I like) but a hard, and very uncomfortable, COLD, STONE SLAB that was about two feet off of the floor!!! So, just to get to the STEPS LEADING UP, as well as to GOD, his SERIOULY BOUND, AND CONSTRICTED mummy wrapped self, had to begin to squirm and rock around until he was off of the DEATHBED where he lay!!!

Here’s the truth of the matter,…based on historical facts,…He had NO use of his arms or legs. He woulda had to move like a worm! So, “splat and thud and ooommphhhhh” were probably the sounds heard as Lazarus made the choice to come to Jesus!”,…and that was just the sound of him hitting the “floor!” Not too mention having to put all that he had into getting up the steps!!!

Thinking about it (as God knows I do! lol!) Now,…Lazarus would have had to have wiggled across the floor first, then using his “head”, neck, and back,…He would have had to, very slowly, put trial and error, and somewhat painful effort into getting UP those STEPS! YUP,…GOOD OLD (worthless, hopeless, and dead in his sins) LAZARUS WAS COMING TO JESUS,…..

BUT IT WASN’T EASY! (don’t forget the maggots, Lazarus) But, eventually,…Lazarus made it to “Jesus.”,…..and all was great!? RIGHT!?  Nope,….not yet! Do you remember what Jesus told the disciples to do???

Jesus said this, “LOOSE HIM and SET HIM FREE”… LET HIM GO…

SO, “LOOSE” ISN’T A BAD THING WHEN IT LEADS TO BEING FREE FROM THE PRISON OF THE SELFISH CHOICES OF OUR PREVIOUSLY ROTTING AND STINKING LIVES…….

But,…what we DO WITH our new found freedom,…is up to US! TTTAAAAADDDDAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Well??? Too extreme??? Oh!,..An afterthought…You know, Jesus had people, believers, (His disciples), move the stone away from the “opening” that led down into the grave? Right?,…

Well,…couldn’t they just as easily walked down the steps and carried Lazarus up and out?!?!?!!?!?!? couldn’t Jesus Himself have moved the stone, and walked down in to the tomb and carried Lazarus out??? I think so…so????

Yup,…I’d guess so, but, I’d be willing to bet that Lazarus,…much in part, due to what he had to go through,..(by choosing to exercise his freewill) …meaning, in facing all of the obstacles,…and challenges,…and adversity that “tried” to block his way, thus hindering him from responding to his “calling” and his faith and closeness with God,…had more of a true love and appreciation.

A love and appreciation,…Because of what he was, not only “willing” to “go through” but, in Lazarus’ giving his “journey” towards Jesus ALL that HE HAD,…HE WAS EVEN MORE THANKFUL FOR GOD’S PATIENCE! Even though Jesus told him to “come up and out”, Jesus woulda had to wait a while for him to make it up the steps! Ya think???……

IT’S GOD’S LOVE,… HIS PATIENCE….. HIS MERCY,…. HIS KINDNESS,…. HIS GRACE,…. HIS LOVE,…. HIS HOPE,….. HIS JOY,… HIS PEACE,…. HIS LOVE,…. HIS MERCY,… HIS SPIRITUAL LIFE!!!,…. HIS ABUNDANT LIFE!!!,…. HIS LOVE!!!,…. HIS FORGIVENESS!!!,…. HIS ACCEPTANCE!!!,….. HIS,…ETC, ETC,….

WHEN WE ARE REALLY SEEKING TO KNOW GOD BETTER, AND WANT TO GET CLOSER TO HIM, WHEN OUR EYES ARE OPENED AND WE BECOME TRULY AWARE OF WHAT GOD’S/JESUS’ LOVE AND FORGIVENESS REALLY ARE,…IN AND BECAUSE OF OUR FREEDOM,…WE KNOW THE TRUE MEANING OF “THANKFUL”,…Why does He do this?,…Because it’s HIS NATURE,…and GOD IS LOVE!!!!

So,…what do think Lazarus would have done with the rest of his life, HIS NEW AND TRUE LIFE, after being FREED from a situation such as his??? You may wanna really give this some thought. As evidently, Lazarus did.

Because in The Bible, it says that Lazarus was sittin right next to his good friend Jesus and havin dinner with the “Son of God!”,…

Funny how some guy that HIS “OWN RELIGIOUS JEWISH SISTER!” (MARTHA) HAD DECIDED WAS TOO HOPELESS AND ROTTEN AND DISGUSTING,…FOR, EVEN JESUS, TO HELP,…and SHE even told Jesus this TO HIS FACE!!! Yet,…even then, the “hopeless, too far gone guy,…ENDS UP SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO JESUS AT THE DINNER TABLE.

The next time that you see someone that, (the “doubtful” thoughts in your mind try to convince you) even “you” think is truly hopeless,…ask yourself,…I wonder what old Lazarus and Jesus had for dinner???

You know, I have a funny feelin that it was the best tastin food that Lazarus HAS EVER EATEN…And the conversation was probably pretty good as well,….jus sayin,…….