Not Settling For Less Than Jesus
Or
A Case Of Mistaken Identity
Sunday Sept. 10, 2023
Scripture To Consider:
“But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’”
“Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Him. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’”
“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’ (which is to say, Teacher).’ Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”
“Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.” John 20.11-18
Something To Consider:
By the time Mary reached the tomb again, probably physically exhausted and spiritually weakened, she found herself unable to hold back the tears of remorse over the whole situation. As she looked inside the tomb she saw two angels clothed in white apparel sitting as if waiting for someone.
Now for most people, seeing two angels would be a life altering experience, but not for Mary. Mary was seeking Jesus and nothing or no one else would satisfy her deep desire and spiritual longing except Jesus.
What is it in this life that satisfies us? For many early in church history it was Jesus only! And Mary was not to be satisfied unless she saw Jesus. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 19.23; “The fear [or reverence] of the Lord leads to life. And he [or she] who has it [or discovers it] will abide in satisfaction; he [or she] will not be visited with evil.”
Something Else To Consider:
Now let’s stop for just a moment, and realize what happened. What lesson of a lifetime has Mary taught us by her reaction or her lack of reaction toward the two angels? For if we will learn the lesson that nothing or no one other than Jesus will ever fulfill the hunger and thirsting of our souls, then we would never be found guilty of chasing after angels, visions, dreams, or any other spiritual phenomenon, because Jesus is all we really need.
Mary was not going to settle for anything or anyone less than Jesus, and neither should any of the true children of God. Jesus is our “Great Exceeding Reward.” And yet, the majority of humankind seeks the emptiness of this life’s physical rewards more so than the spiritual and eternal rewards available through our seeking Christ, His righteousness, and His kingdom.
If we are found seeking an earthly reward, we will be settling for less than Jesus. And at the end of our waisted lives, we will be seen as cases of mistaken identity. And therefore, we would have become much less than we should or could have become being satisfied with Christ and our abiding in Christ!
Jesus proclaimed in His sermon on the mount; “Blessed are the poor [not earthly rich] for theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled [in eternity]. Blessed are you when men hate you and exclude you. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven.”
Something More To Consider:
Mary was quite persistent when it pertained to seeking Jesus and she was passionate when it came to worshipping Jesus. Finally, Mary confronted a man whom she thought to have been the gardener. This case of mistaken identity could possibly have been because of her frantic search for Jesus and the fact that she had been weeping.
Another reason to consider is that she appeared to believe she was looking for a body buried among the other dead. But the moment Jesus called her by her name, “Mary”, she held onto Him with a death grip probably thinking, “You got away from me once, but not again!”
Newly found hope and a resurrected joy of life suddenly surged through Mary’s entire body, heart, and mind. Suddenly, life was well worth living again because anything or anyone less than Jesus was not worth her settling for.
What is it that we are mistakenly settling for in this earthly life? Are we settling for a better paying job? Are we settling for a larger and more comfortable home, or a more impressive and more expensive new car, truck, or SUV to park in our nicer garage than most people of the world have to live in?
In time it will all decay or be left to someone else upon our earthly deaths. In time the 401K, the bank accounts, and the stock portfolio, will be wiped out by the worldly greed of wicked thinking and acting world order elites. And when these things are gone or given to others in the great reset of the world’s economy, what will we be settling for then?
A Few Final Words:
What is it that we are settling for this September 10, 2023, rather than our seeking first the eternal reward of nothing less than Jesus? Have we made seeking after the so-called American dream to be a case of mistaken identity?
Jesus asked in Matthew 16.26; “For what profit is it to a man [or woman] if he [or she] gains the whole world, and loses his [or her] own soul? Or what will a man [woman, or young person] give in exchange for his [or her] soul?”
Many times, in life we settle for much less than God has to offer us by our seeking other things or other people, in order to satisfy our spiritual longing. Wise men, wise women, and wise young people should still seek Jesus!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, may we as true born-again followers of Christ, never settle for less than Jesus. May our spiritual search for Jesus be successful. And help us Father to rely on You, Your Word, and Your Son, and our Lord Jesus. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 