Eternal Life

Luke 10:20

However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

During these last two months, I have found myself reading a wide variety of posted material on all the different things we need to do to approach everyday life. I’ve seen a lot of material shared in word and video about how we are to face this difficult time and what makes us either caring or uncaring and on and on. And one thought keeps popping into my head.

Why would anyone want eternal life?

We’re not living through a unique time in history. Economies have crashed before. Disease has spread before. Famines have happened before. Earthquakes have happened before. It’s almost as if Scripture knew about this ahead of time (“there is nothing new under the sun”) (“in the last days…. Earthquakes, famine, disease…”). The only difference is that it’s happening to us. It’s one thing to read about it in a book or watch it in a documentary, but when the event is occurring within our own life time and to ourselves it somehow becomes very different because it becomes very real. And yet – beneath it all – we desire eternal life.

The first question would be – why would anyone want an eternity of this? And the answer is – no one wants an eternity of this. The implication of eternity is that it is a “better life” – a life free of sickness and disease. We get a small glimpse of this life in Luke chapter 10 verses 1 – 24:

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[b]

16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Notice how the Kingdom of Heaven is shown to be close in these places by the presence of healing? Notice that the Kingdom of Heaven is shown to be close by the casting out of demons (evil)? But the thing that jumped out most to me is Jesus response in verse 20, “20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” He is telling them very directly to not get caught up in this “earthly power” but to rejoice in eternal life (“names written in heaven”)

Why? Because Jesus fully knows that eternal life cannot be part of a sinful experience. He knows that eternal life cannot be established in the earth as it is now. Eternal life is the presence of healing and the absence of sin. We are tempted to think that somehow heaven can be established on this earth – and Jesus (Scripture) makes it clear this is not the case. There is no policy, no politics, no earthly rule that can ever usher in the Kingdom of God. To think otherwise is to elevate ourselves to His place and usher in greater suffering and destruction. Also – Jesus knew that this enabling of power would be temporary. Through His disciples He was laying the groundwork for the earthly presence of His heavenly Kingdom. He knew that their ability to physically triumph over the enemy would be short term and that the greater focus was to keep our eyes on the Kingdom and it’s promise. Jesus would go on to show all of us that the real power we have is to submit to the will of the Father – even to the point of unjustified, wrongful death.

One other thing I think is worth noting is that when Jesus sent out the disciples to declare the proximity of the Kingdom he did so without highlighting or emphasizing anything political. I think sometimes we forget that Jesus could have easily had a political bent but regularly refused to participate in anything like that. We still live within a sinful and fallen world – and we will inevitably get sucked into different political discussions – but my prayer for myself is that I always come back and make my King’s kingdom more important than these political fakeries surrounding me.

Why? Because I would like eternal life. Not because it will benefit me personally – but because it is the salvation of all mankind to desire such a thing. To desire eternal life HAS TO BE to desire the Kingdom of Heaven (since that is the only eternal life worth living, the other one is hell – literally) and the beauty of the Kingdom of Heaven is that it’s the salvation of all mankind (those who choose to believe and live that belief in a changed/changing life)

There are two good examples of this found in scripture. I’ll post the scripture this week – and then we will follow up with some thoughts next week. For now – enjoy these two passages and allow them to soak in over the next seven days – then we’ll come back and make some observations.

Mark 10:17-35

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[d]”

20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

and Luke 10:25-37

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Let’s pray

Father – you know us better than ourselves – you know our hearts, even to the point of knowing what motivates our desires. Please – help us to fix our eyes on You – on Your kingdom and presence and not for our personal glory, but for the glory of You and Your kingdom. We desire to see healing and forgiveness in these days so that we share with others Your goodness and kindness. Forgive us as we forgive others – and allow us each and every day to be better children. We love you and pray this in your name. Amen.