Why do you seek the living among the dead...

"...why do you seek the living among the dead..." Luke 24:5b

Day 18: My little bit of happy - Super Hubbie bringing me Whoppers (the candy)!

Day 19: My little bit of happy - a full night of sleep last night. The second in months.

If this blog entry is disjointed, it is because I am multitasking in true mother form. This verse has been running through my head this morning. I'm sure God has a message in it for me, I'm just not certain of what it is.

The context is in reference to the women coming to annoint Jesus body with spices and it was spoken to them by the 2 angels at the tomb. They were referring to Jesus having risen from the dead, as was prophecied not just Him but also many of the prophets before Him (most notably the prophet Isaiah).

The reason for this gentle rebuke was because the Lord had told them He would be raised on the third day (just as Jonah spent 3 days in the belly of the fish, so would the Lord spend 3 days in the belly of the ground). Yet so small was their faith and belief that they came to the tomb on the very day that Messiah told them that He wouldn't be there.

Which takes me to the story of Lazarus - we who are in Christ have promise of resurrection.

"...Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”..."
~ John 11:23-27

Babes and those with baby like minds who never reach an age of accountability have the same assurance of salvation. The same promise of resurrection.

Later on in the story Jesus has compassion on the grieving sisters and decides to raise Lazarus from the dead. I use the word "decides" loosely, for Jesus being the Word made flesh already knew he would do this, even before Lazarus became ill.

Later on, at the tomb, it states that "Jesus wept." (v. 35) I used to take it in the terms recorded there in John, that Jesus wept because He loved His friend Lazarus so much and was grieved that He had died.

However a few years ago, when we were dating, my husband cast doubt on this premise.

Perhaps Jesus wept not because He was sad Lazarus had died, but because He knew what Lazarus would be losing by coming back.

Jesus certainly didn't do Lazarus any favors!!!!!! Jesus didn't bring Lazarus back because death is such a horrible thing. He did it for Lazarus loved ones. And He did it to bring glory to Himself. Because the people of Israel rejected the Messiah, Jesus had to perform these miracles to prove His Godhood.

Back to the original thought... "Why do you seek the living among the dead?"...

Am I doing this? When I visit Caleb's grave I go for a few reasons. One to remind myself that yes he is real. I have a son who's soul is in Heaven and who's body is in the ground.

But I also go there to connect with my son. Why do I seek the living among the dead?! Well, I guess the answer to that is that I am flesh. I've not been renewed into my spiritual body therefor I can not connect with my son's spiritual being. But I can, as a grieving mother, connect with his flesh by visiting his grave. And it helps my grieving heart.

For the first few weeks after Caleb died I also did the following... I sought the dead among the living. I couldn't enjoy the amazing 2 year old God has blessed me with. Holding her, every cute and funny thing she said and did sent an arrow into my soul. It was like a slap in the face every time and I could hear satan taunting... "You'll never do this with Caleb... Caleb will never do this..."

That is finally beginning to fade. I'm finally starting to be able to connect with Sarah rather than just going through the motions. And I'm finally starting to enjoy her sweet tenderness and her silly antics. It still hurts to be reminded of all the things Caleb will never do - I'll never touch his soft warm skin, he'll never gaze into my eyes with adoration, I'll never make him laugh. He will never lay his head down on my shoulder, kiss my cheeks, and give me love pats on my shoulders while I'm hugging him.

However, I also think of what my son IS doing. He is more full of life in Heaven than I am here on earth. He'll never get hungry or sick. I'll never cut his fingers clipping his nails. He'll never fall and hit his head. He'll never grieve over loss. He wont know fear or embarrassment.

Our little boy is with the only One who could ever love and care for him as much as we would. He's with the One who loves and cares for him more than we could.

"...Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power."

1 Corinthian 15:43-56