Linger Longer

“Six days before the Passover…a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor…in the home of Simon the Leper. Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.” John 12:1,2 Mark 14:3   

 

Almost fifteen years ago, our family made one of our most important purchases ever—a dining table.  Since this surface would be the sole site for all breakfasts, lunches, and suppers—simple or gourmet, casual or fancy, with a few or with the crowd—it had to be big, beautiful, and durable.  At last, I found what I was looking for, but the search had only just begun because the perfect table demanded perfect chairs.  Two requirements must be met—no cushions and ultra-comfy.  The first was for practicality (cloth chairs and children don’t mix); the second for hospitality.  We wanted family and friends to linger longer round the table laughing, talking, and listening, so we made sure the seats wouldn’t cut the conversations short.  After multiple stores and many “sittings”, my husband lowered himself into a fine piece of Amish furniture and declared it the one.  

Our dream came true.   Day after day, year after year, meal after meal has been served at that table.  Countless hours have passed with the five of us alone or joined by others sharing life and love without haste. Long after the last bite, we’re often still at the table nourishing our souls and spirits more than our stomachs.   Good stuff happens when we gather round the table and stay for a while.

“Six days before the Passover…a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor…in the home of Simon the Leper. Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.”  What a sacred scene.  Jesus, Lazarus, Simon, and several more sharing food and fellowship around the table.  None were in a hurry to eat and run—so much so that they weren’t standing or even sitting but were reclining.  Jesus was the center of honor and attention, and the rest had set aside the demands of the day and the weariness of work to totally relax with Him.  They weren’t rushed.  They weren’t restless.  They were reclining with Jesus just enjoying His presence.

As the slower pace of summer ends and full schedule of fall begins (back to school tomorrow), I find myself already trying to figure out how to recline in the midst of the rush.   My spirit needs more than a quick bite of the Bible each day.  Snacks are great, but they should supplement meals—not be the major form of nourishment.   Without doubt, I need to linger lounger round the table, savoring Scripture and just enjoying God’s presence.  

At our family table, the best interactions often take place after we’ve been there a while, and the same is so with our souls.  The “verse of the day” is good, but we usually find the richest fare after we’ve been listening (reading God’s Word) and talking (praying about we’ve been reading) for more than two minutes.  It is in this consistent conversation that our relationship with God flourishes, our amazement increases, and our passion soars.  Yes, we interact with God throughout the day as we see His hand and need His strength, but those times of recline—not rushed and not restless—are essential to our spiritual lives.  They are how we know Him.  They are how we grow in Him.  And they fill us up so we can overflow to others.

Let’s not settle for a snack when our Father has prepared a feast.  When we take the time to dine, we will find that Jesus becomes our true delight. Linger longer round the table and fall in love with the Lord.

Just As Jesus Told Them

^“The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them.”  Mark 14:16

 

Some say close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and dancing, and though this list is not exhaustive, it is very true that many times in life close enough isn’t good enough.  Ask a surgeon, a pilot, or the IRS!  Better yet, ask a Christian.  Why the latter?  Because nowhere does exactness matter more than in matters of eternity. 

A long time ago in a land far away, our Lord sent two disciples on a mission—“Go fix supper.”  To be exact, the divine directive was, “Go to town, and you will meet a guy carrying a jug of water.  Follow him home and ask the owner where my guest room is where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” (Mk 14:13-15)  Though the instructions may have seemed strange, ^“the disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them”(Mk 14:16).  

What if what they found had just been close?  What if the man they met had been carrying a jug of wine instead of water?  What if he hadn’t headed home but had stopped instead at the market?  What if a guest room hadn’t been available but merely an outdoor picnic table? The end result of Jesus celebrating Passover with His pals might have been the same, but what would that mean for them and for us?  When it comes to the words of God, is close enough really good enough?

Never.  And that’s why on that famous spring day and on all other days—ordinary or amazing—all of Christ’s disciples will always find all things “just as Jesus had told them.”  We never need worry that He will be with us “almost” always, that He will “usually” supply all our need, or that “most likely” whoever believes in Him will live forever.  In every word, in every way, in matters as large as eternal life or as simple as directions for dinner, our God means exactly what He says and will do exactly what He says.

Because He is our faithful Friend, He says He will “never leave us nor forsake us”(Heb 13:5).  Because He is our loving Father, He says He will “guide us and watch over us”(Ps 32:8).  And because He is our gracious Savior, He says He will “present us before His throne without fault and with great joy”(Jude 1:24).  We never have to worry.  We never need to doubt. The words of our Lord are sure and secure, and because they are so, so are we. In every moment on earth and in eternity, down to the smallest, most delightful detail, the joyous mantra of the saints shall always be that they “found things just as Jesus had told them.”

Great is His faithfulness.

The Best Backstory

“Six days before the Passover…a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor…in the home of Simon the Leper.” John 12:1, Mark 14:3  

High school graduation was last Saturday, and since well over half of the seniors were in my class either this year or last, I spent the entire ceremony whispering tidbits about each one to my husband.  The situations and struggles many of the students had faced and overcome made their diplomas mean much more than just a pretty piece of paper.  Seeing them walk across the stage was special because the back story made it a better story.

Such was so in Bethany where “six days before the Passover…a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor”(Jn 12:1).  While Jesus was there, “reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume.  She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head”(Mk 14:3).  

Mary’s sacrifice gets top billing, and rightfully so, but the setting of the supper provides backstory that makes the entire event more meaningful.  It seems we don’t have much to go on—“A dinner was given in Jesus’ honor in the home of Simon the Leper”—but that little is enough.  We can be sure that the guy who hosted the party to honor Jesus had good reason to break out the balloons.  In other words, at some point during the past three years, Simon had surely been healed by our Lord.

We’re not told how long Simon had leprosy, but it was long enough for the disease to become his identity. (Think about it—no one calls me Starla the Sicko because I once had strep throat for two weeks.)  This horrid malady that ravaged a person physically, emotionally, and socially had separated Simon from his family, community, job, and church until Someone came along who had not only pity but also power.  With one touch, word, or glance—we’re not privy to those details—Jesus restored Simon’s body and spirit. Suddenly, Simon could do what he never thought possible.  He could hug his family, greet his neighbors, head to work, and walk into worship. So what did Simon do when he was healed?  He opened his home to honor his Healer. 

Simon’s not the only one who should be flinging wide the door.  We’ve been healed from much worse than a skin disease—we’ve been healed from a sin disease that not only made us sick but already had us in the grave. “We were dead in our trespasses and sins…but God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ”(Eph 2:1-5).  Such grace invites great celebration—celebration centered on the One who has not only pity but also power and who chooses to use His strength to save us now and forever.  

Christians have a backstory of rescue and redemption that makes each moment of our lives have meaning and purpose.  All we say and all we do should honor the Healer of our hearts and lives.

The best backstory is the one that puts Jesus up front.

Let the praise party begin—and never end!