More on the topic of 'niceness'

Just following on from yesterday's blog entry. If we are to be like Jesus, remember he calls us to be good, however that doesn't mean we should be nice. 

A few weeks ago the Sunday meeting was on the topic of Lazarus, and on Jesus' response to hearing that his friend had recently fallen ill. I've blogged on this before, however never from this particular angle. Just listen to this:

John 11: 1-7 (NIV)
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

Now, it seems to me that Jesus didn't do the thing that any nice person would have done. He did not drop everything to rush back to his friends to see if he could help. When he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed exactly where he was for two more days. The nice thing to do would be to come back to support the sisters. He didn't. Not straight away. 

Why? Exactly the same question that the sisters asked Jesus when they eventually saw him. This is the part which challenges me at the moment; why did Jesus act in this way? What is this detail teaching me?

To break this down further, the message from Martha and Mary was coming from Bethany, some two miles from Jerusalem. Jesus was in Bethabara, just across the Jordan River, about 20 to 25 miles (32 to 40 kms) away.  This was approximately two days away by foot; involving a steep descent and climb across desert terrain and the Jordan Valley. It also wasn't safe to travel by night. So the message probably took a full two days to reach Jesus. 

Jesus then waited a further two days; then he started to travel back. From the moment that the sisters called for Jesus a likely period of six days had elapsed before Jesus returns to Bethany, by which time it would be too late. This intentional delay meant Lazarus was already dead by the time Jesus arrived - which, with hindsight, we now know set the stage for a greater miracle.

Jesus was not uncaring -  he showed his feelings by crying with the grieving family, giving us the famous short verse "Jesus wept" before he raised Lazarus from the tomb. However, he acted with deliberate purpose to stay away - a decision that confuses his friends. 

By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, there was absolutely no doubt that Lazarus was dead. In fact, scripture records that he arrives four days after Lazarus was buried and in his tomb. Even if he had left immediately that he had got the news, it would still be after Lazarus died. 

Remember - Jesus wasn’t denying Mary and Martha when he waited those two additional days. He had a different agenda. Jesus was preparing them for something far better than they could have ever imagined. 

Is Jesus 'Nice'?

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." 

"Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"...

"Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”

C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

So, if we are to be like Jesus, we are to be good. However, does that mean we need to be nice?

So, purely from the biblical records that we have, was Jesus nice? 

The word nice is not to be found in the Bible. While both nice and good are positive words, nice focuses on being outwardly (and superficially) pleasant and polite, whereas good runs much deeper, pointing to moral character, real care for people, and inner integrity. 

We know from scripture that Jesus was loving, compassionate, and kind. However, modern definitions of niceness - avoiding conflict, being inoffensive, having a polite demeanour - do not fit with what we know of Jesus. 

Not sure? Why not re-read the Gospel accounts of Jesus with this in mind?

Rest In Peace, Dolly

Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 after a phenomenal life. In addition to her prolific career in country music singing and songwriting, there have been memorable appearances as an actor and her incredible life filled with philanthropy and advocacy. 

I can't share any of her music here, however here are a few of her quotes which will give you an idea of her character:

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."

"You have to work at being happy. Some people work at being miserable. If I wake up in the morning and don’t feel great or things are not great, I try to think about what I can do to make things work better, rather than just falling into that deep hole, because then you just go deeper and deeper."

"I always love working with children. I never had children of my own. God has his purposes. God didn’t let me have children so everybody’s children could be mine. That’s kind of how I’m looking at it."

"Storms make trees take deeper roots."

"Love is something sent from heaven above to worry the hell out of you."

"I think everyone should be with who they love. I don’t want to be controversial or stir up a bunch of trouble, but people are going to love who they are going to love. I think gay couples should be allowed to marry. They should suffer just like us heterosexuals."

"I just depend on a lot of prayer and meditation. I believe that without God I am nobody, but that with God, I can do anything."

"When I'm done, I can rest in peace knowing I've done my best. I hope that when my time comes, I'll leave something behind that others can use to lift themselves up."

Z is for Zenith

zenith, noun

1. : the point of the sky that is directly above the observer
2. : the highest point reached in the sky by a heavenly body
3. : the best or most successful point or time.

The word developed from an Arabic phrase meaning "the way over one's head".  During the 1300s, English speakers used the term to describe the highest point in the celestial heavens, directly overhead. By the 1600s, zenith was being used for other high points as well. 

Y is for Yogurt

yogurt (noun):  a slightly sour foodstuff made from fermented milk, sometimes eaten plain and sometimes with sugar or fruit added. Alternatively spelt yoghurt in some countries. 

Yogurt is mentioned several times in Scriptures, translated as curds in older translations. In ancient Middle Eastern traditions, milk was cultured and fermented to preserve it, yielding a yogurt-like food. Some modern English translations use the word yogurt to make the culinary imagery clearer for modern readers.

Finally, Yogurt is one of the major characters in Mel Brooks' SF comedy film Spaceballs, being a parody of Yoda from Star Wars. He is played by Brooks himself.

X is for Xanthicus

My favourite letter of the Alphabet - or rather, the one that gives me the most challenge! 😀

Xanthicus (noun): the name of the sixth month of the Macedonian calendar of the Seleucid Syrians. It corresponds with Nisan in the Jewish calendar or April in the Gregorian calendar.

Of course. At least I didn't pick xenophobia again ...

W is for Witness

witness (noun):

1. a person who sees an event first-hand or provides evidence
2. someone who has personal knowledge of something
3. someone who is asked to be present at a particular event and sign their name in order to prove that things have been done correctly

Acts 1:8 (NIV)

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

V is for Vindication

vindication (noun): the fact of proving that what someone said or did was right or true, after other people thought it was wrong.

The earliest known use of this English word was from the Middle Ages (1150—1500).

Psalm 17:2 (NIV)

Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.

U is for Unobtainium

Unobtainium (noun):  a fictional material which would be ideal for a particular application however it is impossible to obtain. To clarify, it describes "a material that would be perfect for our purposes, if we could get it, but we can't".

First coined in the 1950s, aerospace engineers used the term when referring to unusual or costly materials, or when theoretically considering a material perfect for their needs in all respects, except that it does not exist. It often pops up in science fiction as a MacGuffin. 

(n.b., a MacGuffin is a plot device in fiction—an object, person, or secret—that motivates the characters and drives the narrative).

T is for Theology

theology (noun): the study of religious faith, practice, and experience, especially focusing on God and of God's relationship to the world.

The term originates from the Greek words theos (meaning God) and logos (meaning word, reason, or study). Therefore, it is the human effort to understand and articulate the meaning of faith, spirituality, and existence.

Even if you don't possess a faith, it's only by trying to studying the effects of the Christian faith on human history, ethics and culture that you will start to understand our contemporary world.