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Jesus said unto him, “Let the dead bury their dead:
but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:60
That strange Bible verse came to mind this morning.
I still don’t know how to take those words.
When the dead bury the dead, I’ll be in over my head.
Jesus supposedly spoke to the living. Right?
He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied,
“Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Luke 9:59
Literally speaking, the dead can’t bury the dead.
Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests,
but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:58
No place to lay His head?
Why…He has everywhere a place to lay His head. For God’s sake,
He owns every place imaginable. That doesn’t make sense.
No rest for the weary? What else can it mean?
If it was me, I’d of stayed home and buried my Dad.
Then I’d catch up to Jesus afterwards.
Some of the translations speak of the spiritually dead.
But the man’s dad was really dead.
It doesn’t say the man’s dad was spiritually dead.
If it did, he’d just go home and say “Bye!”
My take on how my Lord would have answered him:
Jesus said, “Okay, go home and bury your father.
Then come to me prepared to leave this world, your reality, behind.
For I go not to raise the dead, but to save the living.”
But can we save the dead, too? You know,
can we save those souls who can’t seem to leave this world behind?
Perhaps, the dead must bury the living to make it through to God.
But then again, Heaven is here – within.
Where we are now! Why do we have to leave?
For this world, our true home, is where it all ends in Revelations.
I like to think I’ll be here when that day comes.
There is no place to go, folks. This is it.
This is where it’s happening!
On Earth, as it spins in
The Heavens.
Amen
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Uncle Tree
I think cremation is the way to go on this over-crowded planet.
When the dead burn the dead, the worms are as good as gone.
Uncle Tree's House 
Awe…that is why my gift is so needed. 😉
Resurrection, man?
Exactly, Cheryl Ann! 🙂 For those who don’t know you:
http://extraordinaryconnectionswithcherylann.com/
Good question, Ed. 🙂 Now, about His head…
Hello Uncle Tree ..just a quickie to say thank you so much for your visit today. It was great to see you there..if you ever feel like dropping in again I shall be more than pleased to see you…welcome you are… love P
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Thank you for returning my visit, Madame!
Amen,
what powerful story, God Bless.
🙂
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Thank you, Jingle!
Bloody,,,,,and we the thorns?
Jesus once had a manger – the story goes…
A blood-red rose at the end of the stem full of thorns. Yes!
Pingback: rising from the dead
Quote:
‘’But can we save the dead, too? You know,
can we save those souls who can’t seem to leave this world behind?’’
End Quote:
There is an answer to this question and it is contained within God’s Plan – or at least the framework of His plan – that is revealed through knowledge of what God’s annual Holy days actually mean, and knowledge of the RESURRECTIONS – for there is, as you no doubt know, more than one mentioned in the Scriptures.
Unfortunately, it is not ‘we’ that can save the dead; there is only one power that appears to have that authority. ‘We’ can do no more than attempt to guide those who wish to be guided, because not everyone is being ‘called’ now, or has been in the past.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me (Jesus Christ) draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Acts 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
Read also 1 Corinth.15
The so-called first fruits are only the first of the harvest (spring) God is working to reap – each in their own time order.
We are not at liberty to save ‘souls’ either I’m afraid, a soul is purely physical and material.
We ARE Living Souls – Not Immortal souls. There would appear to be nothing spiritual about the soul.
A little more is explained concerning the often mistaken attributes of the soul in Part 2 of ‘The Evil that Men Do’:
http://obsfotrans.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/the-evil-that-men-do-part-2/
God’s annual Holy days are not celebrated, or honoured, in many churches that call themselves Christian, they have conceived their own days (Christmas and Easter being but two of them), and therefore, many peoples knowledge of what these days actually mean have been neglected and forgotten.
Regards
John
Thank you for leading the way, John!
This I know – my spirit is not going anywhere,
now or ever. I’m already there, and so are you.
Peace, bro.
Y’no, Keith. I suspect we are on the same page 😉 Luvz ya 🙂
🙂 Glad you’re reading me loud and clear, my dear old friend!
Dear John,
Blessed indeed I am.
I am who, I am.
It was a new day, a new song,
I heard you sing it, loud and strong.
When I opened my eyes the first time,
I saw your light, your glory shine.
I didn’t realize just how important your gift is to me.
One breath of life, you did it so easily.
I reached for you much later in life.
Didn’t know you would be during trials and strife.
You have held my hand through it all.
Not once did you let me tumble nor fall.
You have rescued me for many years,
Throughout, all the pain and all the tears.
I was so happy when you blessed me, indeed
I went to the book and understood the mustard seed.
I know I don’t know how to plow, and I am no farmer.
I accepted your grace and wear it as my coat of armor.
You are divine to me and others I reach.
Every day I teach the power of your word and the love that we seek…
I turn the page every day, and I always find you there.
Searching for you, because I know you care…
The book of life has all the instructions we need.
Still there are many, without the mustard seed…
I am not done sowing for you.
Cheryl Ann Fletcher (DBA): Extraordinaryconnectionswithcherylann.com
June 13, 2011
John,
I think we need to chat 😉
What is the Spiritual Gift of Discernment?
I was reading some of Probe’s responses to e-mails and came across a message which touched on discernment as a spiritual gift (“Do You Know Why My Dreams Come True?”). Over the years I have noticed that I often get what I classify as a “gut reaction” to people, particularly in Christian settings. I seem to detect, almost immediately, whether a person is sincere or a phony. Amazingly, I am almost always correct in my initial reaction, though it sometimes takes years before that reaction is confirmed. However, rather than attribute such feelings to the Holy Spirit, I have always seen them as a prideful or fleshly response to some subconscious cue I get from the other person’s behavior. Could you elaborate on discernment as a spiritual gift? What exactly is it, how does it work and what is its purpose? And, most importantly, how can one determine whether they, in fact, have such a gift? Scripture references would be helpful.
Dear ______,
I’m delighted to hear from you! I thank the Lord every time I hear a believer recognizes they have the gift of discernment because the body of Christ desperately needs this “early warning system.” Unfortunately, it’s been my experience that many people dismiss any spiritual gifts they can’t understand or grasp naturalistically–in other words, that are so supernatural in origin and manifestation they can’t be explained any other way. So we lose out BIG when they are not encouraged or exercised.
The gift of discernment (1 Cor. 12:10) is a supernatural ability to distinguish between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error, between holiness and evil.
Just as counterfeit money experts can quickly distinguish phony money from the real thing, those with the gift of discernment can distinguish holy and unholy spirits and discern truth from lies. A person with this gift can spot a phony before others do. It’s been my experience that they can also tell when someone is lying. When you ask them, “But how do you KNOW?” they just shrug and say, “I just know. I don’t know how I know, it’s just there in my spirit.” Proof that it’s the Holy Spirit’s empowering is given when they are continuously validated in their assessment.
This is NOT the same thing as a “psychic ability.” Deut. 18:10-14 sternly forbids any involvement with spiritism. Only believers in Jesus Christ have this supernatural ability from the Holy Spirit.
1 Tim. 4:1 says that in latter days, deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons will come, so the important role of the gift of discernment is to identify those spirits and doctrines.
A discerning spirit tests the spirits with this rule of scripture:
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” (1 John 4:2,3)
Leslie B. Flynn writes in his book 19 Gifts of the Spirit, “Any relegating of Jesus Christ to an inferior spot less than the incarnate Son of God, the crucified and resurrected Savior, means that spirit is not of God.”
This is helpful to know when we are analyzing and evaluating things we hear and see in the spiritual domain (for example, when watching Oprah’s New Age friends on her show). But just as important, though, is the exercise of this gift in our everyday lives. Those who have the gift of discernment have told me it’s like an internal alarm bell going off. Some examples:
• Our church used to be located on a busy street where panhandlers often came by with a sob story about needing cash for their babies in the hospital or some other pretense. One of the people who worked in the office had the gift of discernment and, after spending just a couple of moments talking to these people, she could tell which ones really needed help and which ones were looking for money for booze. (If they were truly in need, there really would be a baby in the hospital, for example.)
• A friend took her 4-year-old son to see an art exhibit adjacent to art museum in Corpus Christi. The moment they entered the exhibits tent, her son stopped dead in his tracks. “Mommy, we can’t go in there. This place is bad.” Teri sensed the exact same presence of evil. They never saw a single piece of art before turning around and leaving. It turned out to be sponsored by a cult. Both mother and son later realized they have the gift of discernment.
Jesus wept at the plight of the ‘deadened’ and to prove Love, raised it an octave (8-) Right on, Laz! Where be?
Dead on target, my friend! 🙂 And a great metaphor!
“There is no place to go, folks. This is it.
This is where it’s happening!”
Hear hear!!!!
Is that like, “Hear ye! Hear ye! ” Dhyan?
Ambiguities are the rule, and not the exception.
But you, Dhyan, are exceptionally with it! 🙂
Peace!!! Peace!!!!! I’ll put up a fight for mine. And you?
if i would not what it really means then – well.. maybe i would..
🙂 UnDeRsTooD, D!
Hello, all! 🙂
I was just reading an article on the “Cosmic Log” about the Shroud Of Turin. After I finished the piece, I read quite a few comments.
And as per usual, the non-believers were having their say. Out of the 20 or so I read, only one came from a believer, so I chimed in.
“You know what I think is funny? Of course not, so I’ll tell you.
Atheists talk, comment, discuss, and argue about God
more than religious folks do. Can any one of you tell me why?
Of course you can. That’s what you do. Trying to save lost souls…”
Keith, I’ve followed all that you and John have said. I don’t want to gainsay you. All I will say is this. I have a simple faith and never delve too deeply. I sometimes think we create hairs for the splitting. When I first moved to my current home the only church I felt comfortable in was a very high church Anglican Church, (What you guys call Episcopalian) I went to the dean and told him I’d been bought up in a very evangelical church and I didn’t understand what “High Church” really meant. He looked at me and said that he wouldn’t explain. “I only have one thing to do. I preach the reality of a living Christ.”
I said, “OK. That’ll do me.”
Well, sir… I believe every idea is worth a hair.
Hair splits naturally – it doesn’t really need our “help”.
I read and observe these hairs, before applying color commentary.
Reality – as long as there is someone to notice its existence,
it remains “alive”. With those two, we add a third aliveness –
the Christ within – call it the Holy Spirit, if you will.
The Trinity is thus alive and well, methinks.
Religion is the dead thing that cannot be changed, or refuses to change.
Jesus stood for The Truth – Science comes closest to that, methinks.
Still, we have much is learn, but our time on Earth is limited.
Our sun has an ending point, too. What will we do?
Religion is the dead thing – “cept it won’t lie down. I call it churchianity.
Good call, ref! 😉
Upon burying our parents, losing them to participatory nursing home death in which the gray-haired child participates in lockstep, it dawns with such clarity that we’re the dead burying the dead.
Can’t say, “I’m as good as dead” quite yet, George.
“I’m as bald as good,” is more like it. “I’m as bad as alive.”
Psychological truths are supposed to work both ways.
In this case, “I’m as dead as alive,” makes perfect sense.
Life gets us coming and going, whether standing or sitting.
My mom entered the “rest home” for rehab about 2 months ago.
My two brothers and Dad and I know she most likely is in there for good.
Another instance where good is not so good. What the heck?
Dad is doing okay on his own. He’s 83 and in really good shape.
He golfs with his Air Force buddies 3 times a week, and stays active.
Good clean living got him there. We boys inherited the good dirty parts.
I think cremation is the way to go on this over-crowded planet.
When the dead burn the dead, the worms are as good as gone.
Interesting post (and comments). Already a lot said. I would add one token. The best explanation of “let the dead bury the dead” I’ve heard was that, more is sinc with the customs of the time, he wasn’t saying his father had just died (they buried them fast back then especially in summer for obvious reasons). He was meaning he’d come after his father died and he’d secured his inheritance – thus Jesus’ reaction would make perfect sense.
From my viewpoint Jesus brought the spirit of life for all that would receive it. It was that guy’s time and chance but seems like he might have flunked. (Thanks for the likes by the way they are much appreciated. Enjoyed your posts too. I’ll drop by again.)
Nice to meet you, Claire! 🙂 Thank you for taking the
time to read all that, and thanks for sharing another
side of the story. Can’t say I’ve heard that fairly good
reason. Translation, interpretation; muddles up stuff
quite naturally. “Drop everything and follow me now!”
Who in their right mind would do that nowadays? 😉
If the dude was super-cool god-like, I wood consider it.
Fathers who have kids at home — surely we get an exemption.
An abundant life pretty much has to be earned, methinks.
I’m on Mom’s side, so I celebrate Life on this fragile planet.
Spirit doesn’t get to play “flesh, blood, and bones” for long.
If our souls are eternal, then we’ll have plenty of Time
to deal with immaterial matters in-between lives, or knot.
As you see, Uncle Tree lacks convention, but knot conviction.
Thanks again for stopping by! Peace and luvz, Keith ▲