Seeking Life
Have you ever lost something and then spent an inordinate amount of time trying to find that item? Car keys come to mind first, my dog second, and my shoes third. Those who know me well might wonder why I would ever need to search for shoes, when I can easily just choose a different pair! When my son was a toddler we “lost” him. We searched in increasing panic, and eventually found him sound asleep in our closet! My assumption is that each of us spends a distinct amount of time each week looking for something.
This morning as I read in my Bible, the book of Luke, chapter 24, I was intrigued by the phrase “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” The women returned to the tomb because that’s where they remembered Jesus to be. He had died on the cross, the memory of it all was still too vivid and then Jesus had been taken down from the cross, and buried in the very tomb where they now stood.
We are like those women. We expect things to remain where we put them. We anticipate that something we enjoy, we will enjoy again. We believe a process we followed that provided positive benefits or results will work again. We believe in the consistency of the truth we’ve gained from the past.
Perhaps that is why the phrase grabbed me. It does seem silly to look for the living among the dead, The women did not yet understand what was really dead and what was really living. I find myself caught in that paradox as well and so the question needs to be asked periodically, “am I seeking life amongst that which is dead?” Am I seeking friendship (life) from someone who no longer is interested in maintaining that friendship? Am I seeking affirmation (life) from a friend or activity which really can’t provide what my heart longs for? Am I searching for satisfaction (life) from an activity I once enjoyed? Am I wanting to relive the “glory days” (life) of something when I am long past that time?
How often do I seek LIFE from something other than Jesus? How much time do I invest in that which in all reality is dead? Don’t misunderstand me, working on friendships, participating in activities one enjoys or celebrating memories are not horrible evil things. Nor are they Life. Only Jesus is Life. Only Jesus is the one who will satisfy, bring joy, truly affirm and fulfill me.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have LIFE, and may have it abundantly.” -Jesus
(John 10:10)
