People Watching

Helen and I were sitting in a café, enjoying each other’s company and an afternoon tea. We could not help overhearing the conversation among half a dozen well-spoken ladies in their 50’s on the adjacent table. They were explaining to one of their number that at the parties they frequented that that if your handbag is on your left shoulder then you are ‘available’ that evening, and a bag on the right shoulder indicated you were not!

While I enjoy people watching when I am in a café, a more useful version of people watching is to try and understand the motivation and reason for people’s behavior in the bible. 

In the Book of John (in the bible) we read about Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary & Martha, who are good friends with Jesus. 

Mary & Martha send Jesus a message “Lord, your dear friend is very sick”. There are no mobile phones, so the message is carried by some people travelling to where Jesus is staying. It’s interesting that that the sisters inform Jesus of the problem, but don’t tell him the solution. When we bring our problems to Jesus, do we expect him to do things our way? Or do we recognize that his response will be inline with his Fathers good and perfect will? If we do recognize this, we can confidently leave the problem in his hands without subsequently worrying when the solution does not look like we thought it should.

After a delay of two days Jesus says to his disciples ‘lets go see Lazarus’. The disciples objected to this. What was motivating the disciple’s objection? Circumstances had, a few days before when Jesus and the disciples were in the area which Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived people had tried to kill Jesus. What’s Jesus motivation? He knew his Father wanted him to go back so that Lazarus sickness would end in bringing glory to God. How did Jesus know all this? I believe it's because he regularly spent time alone communicating with his Father God. Do you let yourself  be buffeted about by circumstances and other people’s opinions, or do you spend regular time alone in his presence so he can direct our steps?

When they arrive in the area of Lazarus home Lazarus had been dead for four days. When Jesus saw Mary crying and the people surrounding her wailing in sadness a deep anger welled up within Jesus. Why did Jesus get angry?

(1) The answer to this can be found if we consider that God, through the bible, uses anthropomorphisms to describe himself to us. He does this, because language drawn from our own personal life is the most accurate medium for communicating to us about himself.  (2) Anthropomorphism is describing or treating animals, objects or gods as if they are human in appearance, character or behavior. For example, a meme of Winnie the Poo and Piglet talking like humans. (3)When anthropomorphisms are used in the bible about God we need to remember that man is not a measure of God. Where the language of human personal life is used to describe God remember that he does not have the same limitations as we do.

Jesus anger is not an outburst of human anger resulting from pride, tiredness or irritability. It’s a reaction of holiness to sin.  

Jesus, the Son of God was angry at sin itself and the death, pain and sadness it causes. I have often heard people say, ‘if there is a God and he loves us then why does he let bad things happen?’ The reason bad things happen is a consequence of human’s sin, not because God let it happen. Gods loving responses to the pain and sadness we all suffer because of sin is a deep welling up of holy anger against sin and it’s  consequences. 

(1) & (3)  J.I. Packers book ‘Knowing God’, page's 188 & 189. ISBN 0 34019713 7.

(2) Cambridge Dictionary.