Compassion Over Convenience

When it comes to grocery shopping, I am an “in and out as fast as you can” type of guy. Life is busy and I do not have time to waste. At least, that is what I thought until one day a few months ago. Our family was hosting an impromptu evening of fellowship with students on campus, and we were in a mad dash to get everything ready. My task was to run to the store and purchase snacks. As I entered the store, I had my headphones in to avoid the time-consuming inconvenience of talking with people. I grabbed the items on my list (a mixture of chips and candy) while trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Having found everything I needed, I quickly headed to the self-checkout. I scanned my items and rushed out of the store. I was in and out in less than five minutes. Congratulating myself on my speedy completion of the task, I drove home without interacting with a single person. It was on this short drive home that I had a sinking feeling in my heart – my choice of convenience had killed any hope of evangelism.

How many of you have had a similar experience, where you view interaction with people as a hassle? People get in the way, slow life down and challenge our self-centered way of living. So, what do we do? We avoid them! It is this avoidance that unsettles me. I wonder is there a different way of thinking about our interactions with people? Jesus gives us an example of how to view people in society. Matthew 9:36 says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus did not view the crowds as a nuisance. He was not on a quest for efficiency or minimum productivity. He saw lost sheep in need of a shepherd. He showed compassion toward their plight. He did not employ avoidance tactics but instead spent time with the crowd, healing them and casting out their demons. Jesus embraced each interaction as an opportunity to bring peace and good news to the harassed and helpless. For Jesus, the so called “inconvenience” of people was an opportunity to share life!

As I compare my heart during the mad dash to get snacks to the heart of Jesus, I recognize how mine has grown calloused to the plight of the lost. I treat the lost as an inconvenience to avoid. Yet I am reminded of Luke 15:7 “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” The heavens rejoice when one of these inconvenient people find Jesus, the good shepherd, who by His Spirit guides them to the safety of the Father’s arms. Suddenly, I do not see the staff member, or the person struggling to reach the item on the shelf, or even the frustratingly slow cart mover in the same way. I see a vision of the heavenly realms rejoicing and glorifying Jesus, as this once inconvenient person declares Jesus as Lord. We kill evangelism when we choose convenience, but we reignite evangelism when we choose compassion.

Here is the beauty of choosing the way of Jesus - inconvenience becomes a conduit for the salvation of lost souls. The slow cart mover in aisle seven is an opportunity to present God’s love for the one wearied by life. Eye contact with a fellow shopper is an opportunity to encourage another with the message of hope. Taking my headphones out long enough to engage in small talk with the staff member is an opportunity to share how Jesus defeated both sin and death. Oh, how the heavens will rejoice when a once inconvenient interaction leads to a lost sheep being welcomed into the family of God! Let us not be proud of our ability to get tasks completed on our to-do list. Instead, let us view this world as Christ did and search out the lost sheep! He searched for you and found you. Praise Jesus! You are no longer lost in your sin but are now found in the arms of God. Join the search party and search for others that are lost. May the Heavens sing loudly as each name is added to the book of life!

New Birth

Everyone is born dead. Signs of life are evident – the ability to breathe, the pulse felt on our wrist and an ever-increasing ability to understand the things of this world. Yet signs of death are lurking in the background. Death is seen in the disobedient child, in the small lies we tell each other and in the secret thoughts of our minds. Life is lived, but not only will death tarnish every moment, it will bring life to an end. We call this death, sin! Not one person is born without sin infecting them. If mankind is to truly live, then we must be born again into a new life, one where death has no hold or power. Without rebirth, we can never experience regeneration.

In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, he explains how sin has brought death to us all. Romans 5:12 states “as sin came into the world through one man…” It was Adam’s breaking of God’s covenant in the Garden of Eden that brought sin into the world. Adam disobeyed God’s strictest command not to eat from a certain tree (Genesis 2:17), when tempted he disregarded the Word of God and ate (Genesis 3:6). Paul continues in his letter “…and death through sin, and so death spread to all men.” The sin of Adam meant that mankind could no longer enjoy perfect relationship with God. Punishment was due, and death was the price to be paid. Paul notes “one trespass led to condemnation for all men...” (Romans 5:18) and “by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19). Even to this day, we are born into the wickedness of Adam, and must suffer the fate that every person has had to face – the punishment of death. Everyone is born dead! Dead in their sin.

Some deny that they are sinners before God. Just as Peter thought highly of himself (Matthew 26:33-35) we too fall into the trap of thinking of ourselves with high esteem. There are some who claim to be right before God, denying the presence of sin in their lives (1 John 1:8). Scripture makes clear that this denial is deception. Satan has blinded us to our own sin and set us on the path to death. Every man, woman and child has sinned (Romans 3:23) and deserves the punishment of death (Romans 6:23). It is true that some may indeed be moral people, good people who have done no major wrongs toward others. Yet remember: sin lurks! It exists in our self exultation and denial of our need for Jesus. It exists in our willingness to downplay the evil in our hearts and over sell our occasional good deed. Those tempted to deny that death reigns in their mortal body are those who live in arrogance before God. As disobedience entered through Adam, so we are now all wrestling with the arrogance of disobedience. Without rebirth we will remain languishing in our sin.

In the sovereign will of God, He has provided a way for regeneration. As death entered through one man in creation, so life will be brought through one man and His redemptive power. Paul declares “one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” (Romans 5:18). Jesus, the one who Himself is life, willingly took on death to present us with the free gift of life. Only Jesus holds the power to do so, for only Jesus was born alive without the shadow of death hanging over him – “so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). Everyone may be born dead, but all can find life. It is not from within themselves that they will find this life, but in the person and work of Jesus Christ. To kill the sin that has infected us, we must be born again (John 3:3).

Still thinking in earthly terms, Nicodemus asks the question that many will consider at this stage – how is one born again? (John 3:4) Jesus responds, “so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Those dead in their sin must look to Christ on the cross and place their faith in Him. Only then will they be born into a new life, one marked by the blood of Jesus, not by the sin that once plagued them. In coming to Christ, we are washed by His blood and made completely new. Paul writes, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Faith in the Jesus brings death to the old way. Notice how after the old way is gone, “behold” new life is given. The old life must be destroyed for the new life to begin. Therein lies mystery of the new birth. Paul helpfully writes, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4). As we experience new birth, we find that our sin is dead, our sin is buried, and our sin is defeated. Now we can rise into the newness of life in Christ Jesus.

Faith in Jesus leads us from death to life through the mystery of a new birth. You are no longer dead, but alive. You are a new creation, free to worship the Lord and to draw close to your Heavenly Father. There was once a time where death had its strangle hold on you, but not now! Now you are lifted High by the very hands of God and seated in the heavenly realms as renewed, refreshed and regenerated. New birth through Christ Jesus brings a new stunning reality – you are a child of God. You were once born dead, but now you are born alive! So live, o child of God! Live life to the full! Enjoy your creator and the gifts He bestows upon you. Live in the knowledge that sin is defeated. Live as one born to life!

Perelandra

Obsession with appearance is the doorway to self-worship, which if entered, will giveway to sexual immorality and the destruction of eternal assurance. Perelandra written by C. S. Lewis, is a fictional depiction of another world which faces a looming danger of disobedience. Those familiar with Scripture will see parallels with the story of creation, yet with one distinct difference – evil is resisted! As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that how the human body is displayed and viewed is central to the temptation that both man (Ransom) and woman (Queen) face. Lewis subtly reminds readers that the internal, not the external of an individual is where an imperishable beauty exists (1 Peter 3:4).

Human Perfection

Ransom, an Englishman with previous galactic travel experience, finds himself sent to Perelandra by Maleldil for an unknown reason. Upon arrival, Ransom meets the Queen who is in search of the missing King. As Ransom dialogues with the Queen, it becomes apparent that she and the King represent the Adam and Eve of Perelandra. The Queen is seemingly the first of her species, having no children or knowledge of how to expand the species. In his initial conversation with the Queen, Ransom is overwhelmed by the knowledge that both he and the Queen are completely naked. He was neither embarrassed nor ashamed, but he was conscious of being ugly in comparison.

Ransom’s experience over his and the Queen’s nakedness was also experienced in creation. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and felt no shame over their nakedness (Genesis 2:25). In creating Adam and Eve, God created man and woman to perfectly complement one another. There was no barometer by which to feel shame for no imperfections existed. Adam and Eve could stand before one another and be completely satisfied in their nakedness for they knew no different; in perfection, there is innocence and freedom from the need to cover up. Lewis is not only hinting that Perelandra is the Garden of Eden, but he is also beginning from a place of perfect sinlessness, of an innocence that has not been corrupted by sexual immorality.

Subtle Distortion

The peace felt on Perelandra is abruptly interrupted by the introduction of Weston, a scientist with a checkered past. Ransom is concerned about his arrival, giving mention to his murderous tendency from a previous encounter on Malacandra. Weston’s arrival brings distortion to the perfect innocence of both male and female nakedness. He accuses Ransom of seduction, and mockingly suggests if he is meant to view it as sexless innocence. In Lewis using the word “seduction” he enters the first sinful connotation in relation to nakedness. Seduction is the act of tempting someone to take part in an activity (often a sexual activity). The mocking tone of the phrase “sexless innocence” suggests a silliness in believing that two naked people are not aiming to seduce one another. The beauty of naked innocence is now under question.

Scripture reminds us that there are two ways in which a man can look at a woman, one is pure in nature, the other is adulterous. Jesus taught that looking at a woman with lustful intent is adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:28). Desire fuels lust and ignites the motive for seduction. Lust and seduction are sins committed in the heart even without any outward action occurring. Sin will lead to shame, which is why Adam and Eve found themselves ashamed of their nakedness after disobeying God (Genesis 3:7). Nacked innocence has now become shameful and sordid situation.

A Looming Darkness

Weston is possessed by an evil force called the un-man. It is not entirely clear how this occurs, or even if Weston knows what is happening at the time of possession. The un-man wishes to destroy the innocence of Perelandra and will do so through the corruption of the Queen. Ransom watches on helplessly as the un-man spends hours even days trying to convince the Queen to question Maleldil’s commands. Interestingly, throughout these conversations the un-man consistently uses beauty and sexuality to tease out a different way of thinking for the Queen. His desire is for the Queen to become “like the women of his world,” even promising her that she will be “more beautiful than these women.” There is a self-deprecating doubt being inserted into the mind of the Queen – I am not the most beautiful. Going further, the un-man clothed the Queen in flamboyant feathers, leading to the self-absorbed question – “do you think we are more beautiful?” With the addition of a mirror, the Queen becomes completely obsessed by how she looks. Ransom is grateful that the Queen is only being taught vanity, for if the un-man led her to understand modesty, then he may also lead her to understand what is immodest. The innocent nakedness of the Queen is now the center of vanity with the potential to give way to uncontrolled sexual desire. A real danger is on the horizon!

Throughout Scripture, man is consistently warned about sexual immorality. We are to flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18), for the sexually immoral person will not inherit an eternal inheritance (Ephesians 5:5). We are to abstain from sexually immoral practices (1 Thessalonians 4:3) by controlling our passions (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). Young women are encouraged to be modest (1 Timothy 2:9), remembering that beauty is a vain pursuit (Proverbs 31:30). With such serious warnings, why is sexual immorality so prevalent? The looming darkness of sexual sin is usually not first seen in an action, but in the heart of an individual. To desire and lust will often lead to the beautification of oneself. We seek to be more attractive so that others will notice us. We like to be seen. We crave the attention from the one we desire. Like the Queen in Perelandra, we become obsessed by what we see in the mirror. We ask what will make us look more beautiful. Soon, we are consumed by how good we look, and how we want others to see ourselves. Our heart propels us into action, and we walk through the door of self-worship into a room where sexual desire is uncontrolled. The darkness experienced through sexual immorality begins in the light of day, through the subtle self-worship of what we see in the mirror.

Conclusion

The story of Perelandra cleverly shows the reader how self-obsession and vanity destroy any assurance of an eternal inheritance. When the Queen has eyes on herself, she ponders her beauty and her greatness. Yet when the Queen was looking for the King, she walked in peace knowing that the plan of Maleldil would come to pass. The Christian is to take their eyes of themselves and seek after the King. It is only the seeking of King Jesus that truly frees us from the looming darkness of sexual immorality. Through Jesus, our innocence is restored, and we can live in harmony without experiencing shame. We are to worship the creator not the created. The story of Perelandra gives us hope that sexual sin can be defeated through reliance on the creator God.