What He Saw-A Fiction Story

This is a fictional story I wrote some years ago, about a man who had a significant meeting with Jesus (John 9)

What He Saw

Huge tears streaked the dust on his face. He'd skinned his knuckles raw  from tightly wringing his hands. An anguished moaned crept from his throat. "No, no, no." The scene was unbearable yet he couldn't turn away. The horror filled his vision, sickening him. When he could look away for relief, his eyes would betray him, drawn to look again.

There, on that hill, the one across from the city wall, the bloody body hung, naked, strings of flesh hanging, the blood dripping from the shredded veins. The fist-pulped face bloated where they beat him and yanked out his beard. And that mockery of a crown; such blaspheme to the royal head!

He buried his face in his hands and his bony shoulders shook with sobs. "Why, my Lord? Today was a day of gladness. We are to celebrate the Passover, remember our heritage, and our day of deliverance. Why did this happen?"

Although larger than normally witness to a crucifixion, it was a typical group. Many came there for the spectacle, to get a thrill from the cruel barbarianism, while others shuddered at it and feared the cruelty of Rome. Then there was the added oddity of the religious leaders yelling insults at the dying man. What were they thinking? They who should know, yet were so angry and filled with hate.

As the anguished watcher looked on, the sky grew dark. People grew uneasy and stared around. Some muttering went through the crowd and some headed back for the town gates. As the throng thinned, he moved up closer to the execution hill, close enough to see the bloody body struggling to lift up, shuddering to inhale. In the torn face, the white, strained eyes swung heavenward as the darkness almost blackened out the sun. For the watcher the dimmed vision gave no respite.

What was happening? What more were they doing to him?

He stumbled forward, wanting to know, though fearful of what he might see. The road was rocky and crowded with the spectators leaving for the safety of Jerusalem. He moved against the jumble people, going in the opposite direction. At one rough area, he tripped and fell into somebody who cursed, shoving him away. Feeling the clothing of the man, he was amazed it was a priest. The religious man grabbed his robe around him, lifting the hem indecently to break into a trot, hurrying to get away. The man turned, also hurrying, but he wanted to get closer to the dying man.

When he was within fifty feet, a Roman soldier stood in front of him, his spear at ready. Not knowing what was going on, the guards nervously formed a circle around the top of the hill, halting anyone from approaching the three condemned men. He found a place beside a grieving woman and a young man, resigned, knowing this was as near as he could get to the man he loved. His weeping joined their wailing.

Somehow, as if sensing him, the eyes in the bloody face sought him through the darkness. Did the disfigured face attempt a smile, or was it his own imagination because he needed that recognition?

There was a horrible rasping sound as the condemned man agonized to pull himself up once more to inhale. The tongue poked through the crushed and bloodied lips. The dying man spoke. "I thirst." One of the soldiers took a stick with a soaked sponge and held it up for the man to suck the sour drink. After getting some of the liquid, he looked heavenward, working the moistness into his mouth before saying, "It is finished."

The body abruptly slumped, the head flopping to the chest, mouth open, eyes blank. The woman beside him gave a great wail and the young man futilely tried to comfort her. His own heart broke. It was over, the great Rabbi was dead.

The watcher stared at the dead, his eyes flooded with tears. The eyes Jesus of Nazareth restored sight to, only a few days before.

The End

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5 Life-Applications from Exodus

5 life-applications we can learn from the beginning of the book of Exodus

1.
"But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive" Exodus 1: 17

     The faith of the Hebrew midwives. By disobeying the orders to 'post-abort' all male babies, they openly rebelled against the supreme ruler (Pharaoh) of the country that held them as slaves. That took courage but the key to their faith is in the opening of the verse, "But the midwives feared God." Their faith in God and taking action on that faith is beautiful.

• Sometimes Christians have to take a stand against something the government commands as laws for individuals that completely contradict God's laws for all mankind. Because of this distinction, all Christians need to know their Bibles and know their God.

2.
"And they said, 'An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also watered the flock'" Exodus 2:17

    Thus begins Moses' 40 year alias. On the lam for murder, in a pagan country, he's mistaken for an Egyptian. It doesn't appear he corrects the mis-identification. And he even marries into the family. Oops, his bad start just got worse.

• If our Christian character is in question in regards to the company we keep, we need to make a change, either by speaking up and identifying ourselves, or get out of there as soon as we can.

3.
"And they said to them, 'Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight if his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us'" Exodus 4:21

     Moses' request of Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go from Egypt to worship God didn't go over very well. God had already told Moses Pharaoh wouldn't let them even before Moses left the sheep in Midian. Also, he told God's plan to the people, to which they agreed he talk to Pharaoh. Unfortunately, neither they nor Moses considered such an adverse reaction. Instead of things improving, or even staying the same, it all went sour. And with Pharaoh making daily work harder on the children of Israel, they blamed Moses for upsetting the man.
     Unfortunately this is a familiar reaction with many groups. You tell them a new plan of action and they accept it. But the minute the new plan interrupts or changes their comfort zone then resentment and anger comes against you.

• If you have a clear vision and have the means and/or compulsion to complete it, you may have to go through a lot of trouble on your own. But with God's help, keep on until you get to the conclusion. Hindsight is 20/20 and you opposition will accept it in the end.

Take care what you pray for if 

you're not prepared to be the 

very answer to your own prayer.

4.
"...These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites according to their families" Exodus 6: 25

     Right in the middle of of Moses' telling God He's picked the wrong guy for the job, God gives the Family Tree of the Priests He has chosen. Proof of God's humor.Picture Moses as a small child, his lip thrust out, arms folded, scowling as he says, "Why do I have to?" and picture God as His Dad tolerantly smiling and saying "Because I say so."

• Like Moses, God may pick us for the job, even if we feel disqualified and are absolutely reluctant. In that case we are to go one step at a time, walking carefully in the light, power, and might of God. Never make a move, or decision without prayer and seeking God. It is the only way to accomplish the work. It is then we can say "It was all God's work. Praise Him!"

5.
"And the Egyptians shall know I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them" Exodus 7:5

     Take a lesson from the miracles of the plagues. They not only were for Pharaoh and the Egyptians to witness what Almighty God can do but also for the children of Israel to see their God's power.

• Look to God to move the mountains. Grumbling and complaining about oppression and the degradation of social situations isn't going to do anything. Seeking God will.

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Get Over It & Get Useful!

For who makes you differ from another? And what do you

 have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, 

why do you boast as if you did not receive it? 

1 Corinthians 4:7

Is God honored by an over exuberant expression or emotion when He does something through or to us?

Where do we get the right to pat ourselves on the back for the supernatural experience of the filling of the Holy Spirit? If a confessed Christian makes a scene about God's powerful manifestation, do they actually understand the Spirit is Almighty, Holy God, who is due all reverence,  honor, and praise? 

"I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" John 14:18

"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me" John 15:26 

Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one and the same, as God the Father and Jesus are one and the same. God is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. One part of the Trinity does not manifest Himself differently than the others. Nor should we expect God to do anything contrary to what He has shown of Himself in the Bible. His power is His own and He does not share it. When we are surrendered to be used in a supernatural way by God, God will honor Himself as Almighty God, not as an emotional experience, or exuberant display.

"Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever" Hebrews 13:8

Our examples in the Bible, in their relationships with God, didn't talk about having a spiritual experience when God used them some way.

When Ezekiel was taken up by his hair in a vision, he was astonished by the vision, not because of the Spiritual encounter. (Ezekiel 8:3)

Daniel wasn't emotionally giddy when God showed him the interpretations of King Nebuchadnezzar's dreams. He gave God glory for His work, not taking glory that God spoke to Daniel himself. (Daniel 2:19)

On the rooftop, when God showed him the sheet filled with things to eat, Peter didn't jump up and down and run around exclaiming of his awesome Spiritual experience. It was the work of God he declared when he understood the true meaning of the gospel going to the Gentiles. (Acts 10)

Let God be God and be useful when God wants to use you. After all, we are commissioned to simply to obey in giving the gospel (Matthew 28: 18-20). It IS exciting to know we have the supernatural power of God to help us do His work, but that doesn't makes us anything except a born again Christian, created for every good work (Ephesians 2:8,9,10). We all have the same God and access to His power to work through us whichever way God prefers to glorify Himself. 

"But to each one of us grace 

was given according to the measure

 of Christ's gift" Ephesians 4:7.

Get over it and get useful!

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