Mockingbird
New member
In a cartoon I like called Paranoia Agent, whenever someone is facing an emotional crisis they are visited by a paranormal teenage being called Little Slugger who wields inline skates and a twisted metal baseball bat. As strange as it may sound, whoever is attacked by the ghostly teenager finds relief from whatever troubles they were facing. Of course, for those of us affected by cystic fibrosis it may not sound so strange. I am sure we have all wanted to escape from reality at some point, and that is exactly what the people found after they were attacked, an escape from reality. After all, when a person is hit in the head with a baseball bat, he has an excuse to forget his problems.
However, the relief was only temporary. Once the people had a chance to recover from their injuries, they found their problems waiting for them just as before. One of the characters is a police officer whose wife has a terminal illness. He is a good husband; when his wife apologizes for being a burden he rebukes her, telling her she is only looking for an escape from reality, but if they can be strong and face reality together they can overcome it. She is also a good wife, for when she is visited by Little Slugger she opposes him, telling him she does not want his false relief; and when her husband finds himself looking for an escape, she reminds him of his commitment to her. The ultimate message is we can try to escape and pretend all we want, but in the end we all have to face our reality and we can either overcome it or be consumed by it.
When Jesus was taken to be crucified, we remember all the twelve disciples fled. However, we will focus on two of them, Judas, who sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, and Peter, who denied Jesus three times. Both these disciples knew Jesus was the Christ, yet by their betrayal they sought to escape reality. We can imagine Judas trying to justify the thirty pieces of silver to himself as he approached Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, and Peter doing the same with his denial as Jesus hung on the cross. However, when both men came to face reality Judas was consumed by it and hanged himself while Peter was able to overcome it. What was the difference between the two? We remember what Jesus told to Peter, "Behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32.
Jesus is the only one who has overcome the world, and only through Him can we also overcome. Anything else is just a temporary escape. Of course, the world will tell us it is they who have faced reality and that it is Jesus who is the vain escape, and they will continue to believe that until they are acquainted with the Holy Spirit. However, we who are already acquainted with the convicting power of the Holy Spirit know what it is like to have our sins brought to light and be washed clean, while the world runs from their sin and hides in darkness, trying to justify their sin to themselves.
And we, too, who have the Holy Spirit still find ourselves trying to escape reality through worldly and vain means, for our hearts are still accustomed to fear and doubt; but as long as we have the Holy Spirit, He will remind us of our commitment, even rebuking us when necessary. This is the role of the Holy Spirit, to remind us, strengthen us, and guide us until we, too have overcome the world; and not us, but Jesus Christ who is in us. Only then can we face the false escapes which tempt us daily and say, "Leave me alone! I don't need your false hope!"
However, the relief was only temporary. Once the people had a chance to recover from their injuries, they found their problems waiting for them just as before. One of the characters is a police officer whose wife has a terminal illness. He is a good husband; when his wife apologizes for being a burden he rebukes her, telling her she is only looking for an escape from reality, but if they can be strong and face reality together they can overcome it. She is also a good wife, for when she is visited by Little Slugger she opposes him, telling him she does not want his false relief; and when her husband finds himself looking for an escape, she reminds him of his commitment to her. The ultimate message is we can try to escape and pretend all we want, but in the end we all have to face our reality and we can either overcome it or be consumed by it.
When Jesus was taken to be crucified, we remember all the twelve disciples fled. However, we will focus on two of them, Judas, who sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, and Peter, who denied Jesus three times. Both these disciples knew Jesus was the Christ, yet by their betrayal they sought to escape reality. We can imagine Judas trying to justify the thirty pieces of silver to himself as he approached Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, and Peter doing the same with his denial as Jesus hung on the cross. However, when both men came to face reality Judas was consumed by it and hanged himself while Peter was able to overcome it. What was the difference between the two? We remember what Jesus told to Peter, "Behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32.
Jesus is the only one who has overcome the world, and only through Him can we also overcome. Anything else is just a temporary escape. Of course, the world will tell us it is they who have faced reality and that it is Jesus who is the vain escape, and they will continue to believe that until they are acquainted with the Holy Spirit. However, we who are already acquainted with the convicting power of the Holy Spirit know what it is like to have our sins brought to light and be washed clean, while the world runs from their sin and hides in darkness, trying to justify their sin to themselves.
And we, too, who have the Holy Spirit still find ourselves trying to escape reality through worldly and vain means, for our hearts are still accustomed to fear and doubt; but as long as we have the Holy Spirit, He will remind us of our commitment, even rebuking us when necessary. This is the role of the Holy Spirit, to remind us, strengthen us, and guide us until we, too have overcome the world; and not us, but Jesus Christ who is in us. Only then can we face the false escapes which tempt us daily and say, "Leave me alone! I don't need your false hope!"