I don't even pretend to pretend like I know anything about Revelation. The demon, spiritual warfare topic has been one that I could never wrap my mind around, and I guess that's a good thing. I hope no human fully understands it. But as opportunity would fall, it's my week to teach sunday school and we're in Luke chapter 8, where Jesus heals a demon-possessed man. I never know how to teach high schoolers, much less on anything demon-related. However, in my attempt to study up on it, I found some pretty cool things about the authority of Jesus. Ya know, one of those characteristics we say Jesus has because we're supposed to, but often do we think anything of it. I'm the worst at that game. The thing I find cool about these demons inside this man is that over and over they begged for mercy. When Jesus speaks, they first call Him by his name, then they beg him for mercy. A demon begging for mercy. To me it's a pretty solid example of Christ's authority over everything, even the spiritual world.
It says in Revelation 20:2-3 "He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil, or satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended." So the abyss is no Disney World. No one wants to be up in there. I would imagine that's where most demons hang out, and that's where they belong. In hell with Satan. Luke 8:31 says, "And they begged him repeatedly not to order them into the abyss." That place must be pretty evil if the demons are terrified to go there.
Reading this makes me realize Jesus can heal anything. I act like my sin and my problems are too much to handle or sometimes too small to worry about. The man in Luke had hundreds, maybe thousands of demons inside of him, this lasting for years and years. Imagine being that man after you were freed from that. I very rarely ask the Lord to free me from my own sin. It's usually just a "hey, help me out." But Jesus heals because He has the authority to do so.
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Talking about the characters of Jesus, I just wrote a paper on how different cultures are able to identify with the different characters of Jesus. Some cultures in less developed countries see him with a maternal, nurturing side because they are suffering from diseases. Others see him as a liberator for the oppressed who face huge social struggles. There are thousands of ways to interpret the characters of Jesus and ways to be able to connect with the idea of how he identifies with individuals. I was more articulate in my paper but I just thought it was an interesting note.
very cool B. thats a sweet topic. I dont ever think about other cultures and how they view who Jesus is. I always think about America and how our view of him must suck. Because well, its america...
all semester I kept hearing how Jesus message was for the oppressed, and how we as privileged white middle class Americans don't know what it means to be oppressed. I wrote something along the lines that we too know oppression, maybe not as harshly as others but we know what it means to be oppressed by society, friends, corporations, education etc, and our own sins. I wrote about youth and how they are being challenged soo much to succeed nowadays (I mean i have kids filling out like 8 college apps and stressing out about just filling them out) that they are being oppressed by stuff like that, so Jesus message of liberating the oppressed can reach everyone. it was a pretty decent paper, i email it to you if you're interested in reading it.
thanks cinnamon ...
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