SOLITUDE AND SOCIETY
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SOCIETY AND SOLITUDE
SOCIETY AND SOLITUDE
I WANT YOU TO PICTURE THE SCENE IN YOUR MINDS EYE WITH ME, MUCH LIKE MANY OF US HAVE JUST GONE THROUGH AND MAYBE EVEN STILL GOING THROUGH.
TIME OF CELEBRATION WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
CHANGE SCENES TO THIS TIME IN SCRIPTURE:
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES HAD JUST ENDED AND AFTER FAREWELLS TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY MANY WHO HAD ATTENDED RETURNED TO THEIR HOMES IN THE COUNTRY.
THEY WENT BACK TO THEIR COMFORTABLE DWELLINGS, TO DOMESTIC HAPPINESS, COMFORT AND EASE,
JESUS LEFT THE TEMPLE ALONE, A LITTLE MORE SLOWLY AS HE WAS CARRYING THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON HIS SHOULDERS. HE REACHED THE MOUNT AND SPENT THE NIGHT AMONG THE TREES ON THE HILLSIDE WITH NO HUMAN COMPANION. VERY COMMONPLACE TO HIS DAILY ROUTINE.
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
THE MOUNT OF OLIVES THAT JESUS RETIRED TO IS ELOQUENT OF SOLITUDE. THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR HIM IN THE COZY HOUSES TO WHICH OTHERS WENT.
And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
THIS WAS THE SAME AT HIS BIRTH THAT WE HAVE JUST LEARNED ABOUT. OTHER BABES WERE BORN INTO HOMES THAT WAS PREPARED FOR THEM AND WHERE THEY HAD EVERY CARE AND ATTENTION.
JESUS SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY NOT IN A HOME BUT IN A STABLE ON A BED OF STRAW.
THERE WAS NO ROOM AT THE INN, SUGGESTIVE OF SOCIETY.
HIS BIRTH OUTSIDE A HUMAN DWELLING PLACE IS SYMBOLIC OF WHAT HE WAS TO ENDURE FOR OUR SAKES. WHEN HE DIED HE EXPERIENCED THAT SAME SOLITUDE. JOHN AND MARY HIS MOTHER WENT HOME TOGETHER BUT HE REMAINED ON DARK MOUNR CALVARY TO DIE ALONE AS THE WORLD’S SIN BEARER.
DO YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A SIMILAR SITUATION AS JESUS? OTHER PEOPLE HAVE FAMILY AND PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE PLENTY OF COMPANY AND ALL THE PLEASURES OF HAPPINESS THEIR HEARTS DESIRE. YET YOU, LIVE ALONE? MANY AROUND YOU SEEM TO LIVE A WHIRL OF EXISTENCE BUT YOU REMAIN ALONE, YOURS IS A SOLITARY EXISTENCE
TAKE COURAGE BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE ROYAL COMPANY OF HIM WHOS CALMNESS OF SPIRIT OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES IS SO OBVIOUS. IN OTHER WORDS YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY.
SLUMBER AND SOBS
SLUMBER AND SOBS
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,
HIS GREAT TASK BROUGHT HIM MUCH SOLITUDE AND SORROW, HOW HE BURNED WITH ZEAL TO VINDICATE GOD AND SAVE MAN
THE JEWS THAT REJECTED HIM WERE OBLIVIOUS TO HIS GLOWING PASSION AND HIS DEDICATION TO THE WORK HE WAS SENT TO DO
IN THE GARDEN HIS DISCIPLES SLEPT UNDER THE SHADE OF THE TREE AND HE WENT A LITTLE FURTHER AND SWEATED AND SOBBED.
HE GAVE HIS EYELIDS NO REST DURING THOSE FINAL HOURS
HE CRIED AND WAS NOT SILENT
THE QUESTION WE ASK HERE IS; WHO’S COMPANY DO WE SHARE?
THOSE WHO THINK OF SLEEP, EASE AND THEIR OWN SELFISH COMFORTS?
So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
1 THESSALONINS
DO WE HAVE SOLITARY TIMES UNKNOWN TO OTHERS WHERE WE YEARN OVER LOST ONES, IN AND OUT OF OUR HOMES?
FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE LAMB NEED TO BE WARNED
BE WILLING TO GO OUTSIDE THE CAMP
NOT LIKE TO BE COMFORTABLE TOO MUCH
LOVE SELF EASE AND PLEASURE
WE DO VERY LITTLE SOBBING AND WRESTLING
WE SHOULD BE FOUND WITH JESUS ON THE MOUNT OF LONELINESS AND PRAYER
DIVISION AND DEVOTION
DIVISION AND DEVOTION
When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”
Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?
The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
SO WE SEE THERE IS DIVISION AMONG THE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF JESUS.
PICTURE IN YOUR MINDS EYE THE HEATED DISCUSSION AMONG THOSE RELIGIOUS LEADERS.
SOME WOULD BE SAYING HE IS OUR MAN - LETS FOLLOW HIM
OTHERS DISPUTE AND DENY HIS ASSERTIONS
PICK HOLES IN HIS LIFE AND RENDED HIM UNWORTHY AND UNSUITABLE TO BE THE MESSIAH
OTHERS LEFT EXCITED TO SUPPORT AND SHOW OTHERS THE WAY
DID JESUS TAKE SIDES?
NO!!
INSTEAD HE STEALS AWAY AND GOES TO PRAY TO HIS FATHER IN HEAVEN WHO KNOWS WHO HE TRULY IS.
MEN WERE WILLING TO TALK AND ARGUE ABOUT JESUS BUT NOT SO WLLING TO OPEN UP THEIR HEARTS TO HIM.
HE LEFT THE OTHERS TO DISCUSS HIM AND KNELT IN THE GRASS FOR THEM.
OH IF ONLY WE HAD THE SAME MIND AND ATTITUDE.
THE MORNING STAR FOUND HIM WHERE THE EVENING STAR LEFT HIM, PRAYING OVER THE SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS OF THOSE WHO CLAIMED TO BE ALL THAT WAS RIGHTEOUS.
HE SACRIFICED REST FOR WRESTLING IN PRAYER AND SLUMBER FOR SORROW.
WHAT A LEGACY HE HAS LEFT FOR US TO FOLLOW.
OFTEN WE LEAVE CHURCH COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PREACHER THE MUSIC THE COFFEE ETC...
OTHERS RETIRE COMMENDING THE SERVICE AND REJOICING WHAT JUST HAPPENED
WHEN POSSIBLE WE SHOULD LEAVE OUR GATHERING TOGETHER AND FIND A SPOT TO PRAY FOR SPIRTUAL RESULTS TO PRAY FOR ALL WE HAVE HEARD
REJECTION AND REIGN
REJECTION AND REIGN
WE CAN APPLY ANOTHER ASPECT TO THE SOCIETY AND SOLITUDE THAT THE TEXT SUGGESTS.
THE JEWS WENT TO THIER HOMES TO FUEL THE FIRES OF HATRED THAT THEY FELT FOR JESUS
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
THEY EACH WENT THEIR OWN WAY AND NO ONE STOPPED TO CONSIDER JESUS
THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR HIM IN THEIR SOCIETY
IT IS STILL TRUE THAT MEN GO OUT TO LIVE THEIR SINFUL, SELFISH, INDULGENT AND INDEPENDENT LIVES WHILE JESUS CONTINUES TO INTERCEDE FOR THEM.
THE DAY IS COMING WHEN WITH HIS PEIRCED FEET PLANTED ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, CHRIST WILL REIGN OVER ALL THE HOMES AND COMMAND THE ALLEGIANCE OF ALL WHO DWELL ON EARTH
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.
NO LONGER WILL HE BE ALONE SOBBING OVER THE SINS OF MAN
INSTEAD HE WILL BE ATTENDED BY MYRIADS OF BLISSFUL AND GLORIFIED SAINTS
NO LONGER WILL THOSE OF EARTH DISPUTE HIS CLAIMS
ALL WILL OWN HIS RIGHT TO RULE
for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL EVERY MAN GO TO HIS OWN HOUS IN PEACE AND JOY BECAUSE JESUS WILL BE THE SUPREME WORLD EMPEROR.
PHILIPPIANS 2:10