Why Games
When we raise our children and
teach our students, we often find ourselves getting into “why games” with them.
They ask:
“Why
should I go to school every day?”
“Why
should I go to church Sunday?”
“Why
should I read the Bible?”
We too ask questions today:
“Why
did earthquake happen in Turkey and Syria? Why does God allow natural
disasters?”
“Why
did Tyre Nichols have to die?”
“Why
does gun violence keep happening? Why does God allow evil?”
“Why
is my loved one suffering from mental illness? Why does God allow that?
Why, why, why… we question God.
Messiah, the Anointed One??
Jesus’ disciples too had questions.
Six days earlier, before Jesus took three of the disciples up to a high
mountain, he had an important conversation with them. “Who do you say that I
am?” Jesus asked. Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said, “You are blessed,
Simon!” But then, he began to teach them that he must suffer and be killed and
on the third day be raised.
Jesus’ disciples must have been so
confused and asked many questions to themselves. The name “Messiah” means the
promised “anointed” One. God’s chosen, blessed, beloved One. So for them, if
Jesus is the Messiah, he must be successful, prosperous, triumphantly marching
into Jerusalem, successfully overthrowing the corrupt government, and making
things right. But now, Jesus was talking about God’s Messiah being betrayed,
suffering at the hand of the religious leaders, and being killed. So Peter had
to say (probably the others too), “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen
to you.” Basically, Peter and the disciples were questioning Jesus, why, why,
why…
With Resurrection Eyes
After this happened, six days
later, Jesus took with him Peter, John, and James up to a high mountain. There
his appearance was changed, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became
white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with Jesus. Then
there was a voice, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased; listen to him.” After all this, as they were coming down the mountain,
Jesus said to them, “Don’t tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man
has been raised from the dead.” What is the purpose of this vision? I believe
that Jesus showed them this vision to
help them to see things with resurrection eyes, to see things with a bird’s eye
view. As God’s Messiah, Jesus told them what he must go through, and what would
happen to him in Jerusalem. But they didn’t get it. They couldn’t get it with their
limited understanding. So what he did was to show them a glimpse of his final
future glory, so that they might be able to get through upcoming hardships,
though they would not fully understand why.
The same thing happened to Paul. As
a devoted Pharisee, Paul (Saul) was expectantly waiting for the Messiah. But he
didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Because he knew that the Messiah was
the anointed one, the blessed one. But Jesus was the cursed one, because God’s law says
“Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree” (Deut 21:23). Jesus was condemned
and died on the tree. Therefore, Jesus was the cursed one, not the blessed one.
So for Paul, the claim that Jesus is the Messiah was nonsense. But on the way
to Damascus he met the resurrected
Jesus. Then, Paul’s values, his convictions, his worldview had to change. He
was reasoning, “If God raised Jesus from the dead, that means God vindicated
him and proved his innocence. Then, Jesus was condemned and died on the tree,
not because of his own sins, but because of others.” Then, he came to the realization: “Christ has rescued us from the curse of the law by becoming a
curse for us. For it is written,
“Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree” (Gal 3:13). Since then, Paul began
to see all things with resurrection eyes. Later, he said, “Even though we once
knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way” (2
Cor 5:16).
Live from Victory
Why is it so important to see the
world with resurrection eyes? Let me
tell you a story. The Shack is a
story about one person’s healing journey. Mack is a survivor of child abuse by
his alcoholic father, and now he has a father of three children. His life is
shattered when his youngest daughter Missy disappears during a family camping
trip while he is saving his two older children during a canoeing accident. Later
it is found that Missy was abducted by a serial killer, then killed in a
desolate cabin, “the shack” in the forest. One winter day, he receives a
mysterious message signed by “Papa” that invites him to the shack. Mack thinks
that it might be an opportunity for him to meet and punish the killer. But
instead, in the shack he encounters three strangers – the African-American
woman (God), the Middle-Eastern man (Jesus), and the Asian woman (the Holy
Spirit). There Mack asks them so many questions, “Why did you allow my Missy to
be killed?” God cooks a meal with him. Jesus builds a wooden box with him. The
Holy Spirit weeds the garden with him. These are all part of his healing
process. But eventually, the trio briefly takes him to heaven and let him see
Missy from a distance, who is happy, beautiful, fully blossoming. Then, the
trio also helps Mack encounter the spirit of Mack’s father, who apologizes for
his mistreatment of Mack. After this, finally he is able to move beyond his
grief and his faith restored, because he now sees all things with resurrection
eyes.
The other day I watched the film Pilgrim’s Progress with my children. We
have watched it several times, but we are still loving it. The main character Christian has to go through so many
trials and tribulations. On the journey his companion Faithful dies a martyr. In the Castle of Doubt Christian and his friend Hopeful
fall into despair and almost give up on their lives. As they cross the River of
Death, they almost drown and lose consciousness. Those scenes made us a bit
nervous, but we were ok, because we knew how the story ends. We knew it is a happy
ending, glorious ending. We knew Christian and Hopeful would make it to the
Celestial City. As Christians, we live from victory, not for victory. Life is
difficult, but resurrection eyes make our life bearable.
Farther Along
Many of our spiritual ancestors,
Abraham, Moses, Rahab, our parents, and our grandparents, died in faith. They
did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and
welcomed it. They accepted the fact that they were transients in this world
(cf. Heb 11:13). In his last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” Dr. King
shared his last words as follows before he was assassinated on the following
day:
“Well, I don't know what will
happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me
now. Because I've been to the
mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long
life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just
want to do God's will. And He's allowed
me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised
Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people will get to the Promised
Land.”
As James was taken for execution,
perhaps he was strengthened, remembering his mountaintop experience with Jesus.
As Peter was crucified upside down, perhaps he placed his hope in the
resurrection, remembering Jesus’ transfigured body (resurrection body) on the
mountain. As John was banished to Patmos, perhaps he was comforted, remembering
his sweet communion with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.
Before the pandemic began, our church
used to lead a weekly Bible study at Gardiner nursing home. The residents’
favorite time was hymn sing. And their favorite hymn was “Farther Along.” We
sang that hymn every week. During the Bible study, we were questioning, “Why
suffering?” “Why evil?” “Why cancer?” “Why mental illness?” Why, why, why… But
at the end, we sang this song together by heart. Then once again we were able
to see the world with resurrection eyes. May the Lord take us up to the
mountain. May we see life with resurrection eyes and live from victory, not for
victory.
Tempted and tried
we're oft made to wonder
why it should be
thus all the day long
While there are others living about us,
never molested,
though in the wrong
Faithful till
death said our loving master;
a few more days to
labor and wait
Toils of the road will then seem as nothing
as we sweep
through the beautiful gates
Farther along
we'll know all about it;
farther along
we'll understand why
Cheer up, my brother; live in the sunshine,
we'll understand
it all by and by
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