The End of the Story Part IV

The resurrection is everything.  It's the end of endings.

The Apostle Paul was a big shot before he was blinded on the road to Damascus; when Paul was still Saul.  He writes to the Philippians that he was a pure blooded Israelite, born to the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day, a well trained religious scholar, and had a zeal for righteousness which came from the law.  People respected Saul.

However, in another letter, Paul writes that "his physical presence is weak, and his public speaking is despicable."  Or at least that's what other people were saying about him.  How could a guy who was Pharisee number one; who was constantly taking people to court to kill them; who had one of the best pedigrees in the world be called weak and despicable?

What happened?

The main reason I decided to follow Jesus as closely as I possibly could was hope.  Jesus offered me hope that things were going to be made right and that God would not stand for injustice.  The prophecies in the book of Isaiah, some of which state that the hills will be made low and the valleys will be raised, say to me that if there is inequity, poverty, suffering; it just can't last forever.

Something you should understand about me is that I am naturally skilled at almost nothing.  Some people scoff at me when they hear this, but I have proven it over and over.  I've already commented on my inability to understand math, but my lack of skill extends into areas such as social perception, general physical coordination, and most recently sailing.  I don't intend to turn this blog post into a self depreciating joke fest, but I share these shortcomings with you to demonstrate the reason for my hopefulness.

Later in Paul's letter where he refers to himself as weak and a despicable speaker, he says that there is nothing to boast in unless it is in Christ alone.  In fact, says Paul, he would rather be weak because in his weakness, Christ's power is perfected.  Of course, you already see where I am going with this; because I am weak in many areas, Christ has more opportunities to be glorified in my life.  This is true.  But there is more to it than that.

Because the resurrection is limitlessly deep, the hope we have in Christ should be limitless as well.  Because it's obvious that even the most skilled people have a limit to their skills.  Their skill has an end.  But with God the end of the story isn't really the end.  And so you see people doing things that shouldn't be "possible" on earth.  Blindness being healed.  Limbs growing out.  Diseases being slapped out of people's bodies.  All endings to which Jesus said "there's more."  Because of the resurrection, all sorts of death can not stand.

The only things that are forever are God and His Kingdom.  Paul knew this.  That's why he was gladly imprisoned, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, subjected to robbers, hungry, thirsty, and naked.  Because "to live is Christ and to die is gain."  Because the end of the story is not the end with God.  That's also why Paul's sweaty work clothes and handkerchiefs healed people of diseases.

In all things, God is saying the story is not over.  The question is; do we agree?  If we do then it's time to get busy because there is a movement happening where everything is being restored.  The most definitive endings to people's stories are the most surprising beginnings.  The people who live in the most death are experiencing the greatest resurrections.  Those who are foolish are already leading the wise.  The meek are inheriting the earth, the weak are turning out to be the strongest, and the whole world is coming face to face with the idea that to be a winner you actually have to be a loser.

Jesus is standing at the beginning of it all, ready to run with us.  And that's the end of that.