The Treasury of Solomon : Naked and left in the cold

Reference Passage: 

Proverbs 25:20 (NIV)
Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day... is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

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As we return to Solomon's treasury, our concern this time is the growing attempt worldwide, to deny the realities of sorrow with the belief that a positive attitude is all that really matters in life. The wise man tells us that trying to laugh away the burdens of our heart is like taking off our clothes on a wintry day. Let me explain.

In the marketplace of ideas, the concept of Commercial laughter has become a major player. The gift of mirth is now peddled in a variety of shapes and sizes, tailored to fit all kinds of taste. In Eastern mysticism lingo, there exists a form of exercise called Hasyayoga – laughter yoga, in English. The argument goes that since the body is unable to distinguish between real and fake laughter, the positive effects thereof may be harnessed to trigger good health and mental tranquility. With the world increasingly looking East for spiritual therapy in recent times, the joke has spread far and wide, like many other good jokes. Its no longer strange to find groups of usually sane adults, laughing their way to wellness, seated in parks in the early hours of the morning. 

Comedy is similarly being pressed into service all over the world. A daring race of stand-up comedians are grabbing attention, poking fun at just about anything from politics to religion to popular culture. It now appears that keeping the paying audience in splits of laughter, presumes prime importance, irrespective of the content of the punch line. Hence, time and again, there is a subtle foray into hitherto restricted territory, armed with nothing more than a simplistic view of life's deeper questions. And why not, given the fact that it helps to ease tension, and help us feel better?

Laugh we may, but human kind does not appear to be a very happy lot. Aren't we assuring ourselves that we're the descendants of evolved monkeys and happiness is the result of chemical processes and neural responses, within the brain? No wonder, our attempts at happiness remain peripheral, because we continue to deny the realities of our inner selves. 

Let me take you to the airline check-in counter at the airport, for a quick illustration. With all the talk of “global quality standards” and “customer satisfaction”, you find the counter occupied by a smiling attendant, ever willing to meet any need. The greeting, the polite questions and quick windup of routines, leave you charmed. However, these are also the days of tight budgets and last-minute flight cancellations. Lo and behold! The counter is soon mobbed by an impatient crowd and questions are volleyed across by the dozen. Soon the smile dissolves away with the makeup, as the rising heat induces a bout of perspiration. The helpless passenger is left wondering if the smile earlier, had depth to match the length. Besides, why did it disappear when it was most needed?

I wonder if in similar fashion, our joy and peace of mind lasts only as long as we are immersed in the comforts of the expected. Remember life has an uncanny tendency to present the unexpected, catching us unawares.

Oppressive cold weather always means refuge in warmer clothes, at least for us human beings. Exposing oneself to the elements, without the strength to match, is definitely not an act of courage. Acting as if the chill doesn't exist, does not lighten the onslaught or the suffering. Yet, why is it that we attempt to live in a state of denial and complacency as the world around us continues to hurt?  

Believe it or not, the sadness and frustration has penetrated our inner selves too. Merely consider the human hunger for entertainment, for evidence of our desperation. The audience demand for lust, mirth and other forms of self-indulgence have only grown over the years as the performers remain sensitive to the lure of money. I was taught in my school days that humans needed recreation or entertainment, to overcome the mental tension of everyday life. In that case, does not the craving for more entertainment reveal the reality that more distress infiltrates our hearts everyday? 

To me, it appears as if our efforts have only served to further aggravate the internal crisis, which is alarming – the pill that draws appetite to itself, is never really medicine, it is only an addictive drug. Mankind does not ask what we are truly doing to ourselves, and we'll pay the price someday.

Worse yet, those of us who have absolutely no idea how biting the cold can be, attempt to convince others that it takes only a smile for the darkness to dissipate. You wish!

The Bible tells us this of God's Presence:
“In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

The need of the hour is a solution that brings man into day-by-day personal experience of God's Presence, even as he confronts the challenges of pain and sorrow. Almost 2 millennia ago, was born the One called “Immanuel” - literally translated “God with us.” His biographies do not tell us anything about His laughter or whether He made people laugh. His messages eventually stung His enemies to retaliate with the death penalty because He made it plain that man could not taste happiness on his own terms. Unlike so many other heroes of history, He chose to suffer on a Roman Cross, silently, and for no fault of His. 

Having risen again on the third day, His Name is still called upon for salvation, all over the globe, irrespective of caste, colour or religion. Those who have tasted the sweetness of His friendship, declare the peace and joy that refuses to evaporate in times of trouble. They do not drown their sorrows with empty songs or nervous giggles, they'd rather share their sorrows with Him, Who has tasted suffering for them first-hand. He continues to be their Rock, where they stay anchored even when the world threatens to tear up their faith.

An old hymn cries out these words of challenge:
“Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift or firm remain?”

Remarkably, Jesus Christ, our Immanuel, never was, is or ever will be, the result of man digging out the secret recipe of true happiness, but God offering it at His own expense, to anyone ready to take Him at His Word. 

The Stranger on Emmaus Road

Reference Passage:

Luke 24:13-14 & 28-32 (NIV)

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going farther.
But they urged Him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So He went in to stay with them.
When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight.
They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

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Two of Jesus’ disciples set out from Jerusalem for Emmaus. Though leaving Jerusalem behind, they decided to take the raging debate of the day with them. The previous weekend had just witnessed the gruesome murder of the One, they lovingly called Teacher. Since that morning, strange news was pouring in that Jesus’ body was now missing from the tomb. Surely, this was one battered body that bore little hope of resurrection. Marred beyond recognition, the body had been kept under guard, in the tomb of Joseph of Arimethea. Then again, wasn’t this the very Jesus who healed the blind and raised dead Lazarus? If He couldn’t save Himself, were they mistaken in expecting Jesus to be the Messiah?

The wounds, the guards, dashed hopes – the talk went on and on as they trudged the road to Emmaus. They thought they were alone. How wrong they were!
Time and again, we’ve walked this road too, haven’t we? Tough situations in life and the feeling that things are spiraling out of control, often push us to the depths of disappointment and even to the point of questioning the faithfulness of God.

Then something wonderful happened – the Lord decided to join them. As He walked with them, He wanted to know the reason for their sorrow. Probably, they hadn’t noticed it themselves – their banter was dragging them deeper into sorrow, and it soon reflected on their countenance. It’s not unusual now that even Christians move around with dark clouds hanging overhead. Colleagues and friends notice this and wonder what’s wrong. We blame the day and say, “Its just one of those bad days.”
The real problem lies elsewhere and that’s the truth. Having patiently lent an ear to their talk, Jesus wanted to know what had befallen their faith. “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” He exclaimed.
Did you know that our clouds and moodiness evolve from our own deep-seated disbelief? Besides, have you observed that each time you are in hot water, your mind somehow occupies itself with the worst possible scenarios, replaying the images repeatedly in the head, till you are mentally worn out at last? Even though the Lord has never failed us, we are yet to learn the habit of exploring the possibilities of faith when facing the Problem Mountain.

Walking and talking with Jesus had an immense impact on the two. The Lord began to unravel the threads of Old Testament prophecy and weave God’s eternal plan before their eyes. For the very first time, they actually saw that such a resurrection was possible. Now that the Word of God was at work, they could feel the darkness melt away as the Light of the world shone into their souls. Christians, as individuals or fellowships, who find themselves stuck in the dark, should examine if the Word is still at work in their lives. Probably, we’ve given too much time and space to technology. On Sundays, PowerPoint now comes to our rescue; however, having left the Good Book behind, we live with a power-cut the rest of the week.

The effect is obvious: as the journey drew to a close, the disciples invited the Stranger to spend the night with them. I haven’t ever asked a fellow traveler home after discussing the economic crisis on a bus journey. I’m sure that you wouldn’t either.
However the Man who kindles the celestial fire in our mean hearts, as sang Charles Wesley, is different from any other. “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" the two later asked, each the other. If the only Christianity visible to our eyes is the scandal-filled, money-guzzling, politically correct mish-mash of the day, and that drains away our own enthusiasm towards Christian living, what a blessing that this Stranger walks with us to show that He still sees opportunities very differently indeed!

The climax arises at supper: as bread is broken, the disciples finally catch a glimpse of God’s glorious Son and suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The ancient prophecies, the Mosaic Law, the precious promises of the coming Holy Spirit and finally, the One who’d said it all – standing right before them, even though they perceived Him dead – the message was finally clear: whatever He promised, He was also able to perform. May we also learn with them the practice of looking at new possibilities by faith in the light of God’s Word, even when challenged by the ‘fiery darts’ of the evil one.

The journey that began bitterly, ended in revival – all because this Stranger chose to walk with doubting mortals on life’s lonely road. What a different ending to the episode, had the journey commenced and ended with the two taking their burden all the way! It was the added perspective of the Third Man that made all the difference and caused the burden to evaporate. This is extremely significant – certain religions teach their adherents that our lives are the sum total of our actions, popularized as ‘karma’. Simply put, this means that what we’ve done in the past decides what we are presently, and what we do now decides what we will become in the future. Philosophically and scientifically, this is otherwise known as ‘cause-and-effect’.
When I look back at my own life, and realize the gravity of what I’ve done to myself as I live in sin, I discover the bondage that my actions bring me into – a vicious circle of punishment, pain, guilt and misery. I drag this along, all my life crying, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24)
Along comes the Third Man to intervene and pin the ‘effects’ of sin, onto Himself at the Cross; suddenly, with the disciples, I find out that I am burden-free. Thankfully, this uninvited Stranger is not the God of cause-and-effect, but the Lord of amazing grace!
No wonder that I sing with Henry Lyte[1] and echo the sentiments of the Emmaus-goers, “In life, in death, oh Lord, abide with me.”

In the prophetic Psalm 16, that foresaw the resurrection centuries before it happened, David sang:
“You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)
Mankind knows the way to Emmaus and failure and sorrow, but He, and only He, can show us the path of life, the road that leads back ultimately into the Presence of God.

Notes:
[1] Lyte was in­spired to write hymn “Abide with Me” as he was dy­ing of tu­ber­cu­lo­sis; he fin­ished it the Sun­day he gave his fare­well ser­mon in the par­ish he served so ma­ny years. The next day, he left for Ita­ly to re­gain his health. He didn’t make it, though—he died in Nice, France, three weeks af­ter writ­ing these words. Here is an ex­cerpt from his fare­well ser­mon: “O breth­ren, I stand here among you to­day, as alive from the dead, if I may hope to im­press it upon you, and in­duce you to pre­pare for that sol­emn hour which must come to all, by a time­ly ac­quaint­ance with the death of Christ.”
For over a cen­tu­ry, the bells of his church at All Saints in Low­er Brix­ham, De­von­shire, have rung out “Abide with Me” daily. The hymn was sung at the wed­ding of King George VI, at the wed­ding of his daugh­ter, the fu­ture Queen Eliz­a­beth II, and at the funeral of Nobel peace prize winner Mother Teresa of Calcutta in1997. (Source:cyberhymnal.org)