Raising The Dead

 

Now at their becoming affrighted and inclining their faces to the earth, they say to them, "Why are you seeking the living with the dead?"  

Luke 24: 12, Concordant New Testament 

It seemed like just a normal Oregon winter day, with that east wind keeping us colder than normal.  As I pulled into one of the facilities we service, I noticed a pedestrian shouting and flagging me down.  I was able to discern that he was alerting me to a possible overdose nearby.  I was immediately skeptical, as this is an area with a large homeless population.  However, I made my way to where the man was directing me.  On arriving, I found a young man passed out on the ground, with his so called girlfriend administering what can only be described as rudimentary CPR.  Minutes after calling for assistance, the paramedics arrived to assist the victim.  One of the paramedics administered a dose of the drug Narcan, which somehow counteracts the effects of heroin on the body.  Within thirty seconds of receiving the life saving dose, the young man was sitting up, taking off the blood pressure cuff and oxygen mask the first responders had used to revive him, and shouting at those around him wondering where he was.  Such are the effects of this life saving drug.  Then it hit me...I'd just raised the dead.  

In November of 2020, Oregon voters passed state measure 110, which effectively decriminalized the possession of formerly illegal drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine.  Punishment for simple possession now turned from a felony to a minor ticket infraction.  As the measure passed by over 55% statewide, one can assume that the majority of the state agreed that criminalizing hard drugs was inhumane.  Yet I have a different take, because in Oregon, if you win the most populated areas of the state you have a good chance of winning.  So, to say that all of Oregon is in support of reduced penalties for drug possession would, I feel, be in error.  So it is that we have turned the scourge of drugs upon the same people we were attempting to save from them.  From a Christian perspective, our very first knee jerk reaction is to pray for the afflicted.  This is what we have been taught for most of our Christian lives in one way or another.  So we pray.  Yet, the homeless population seems to get larger.  Doesn't God care about those trapped in the slavery of addiction?  Sure He does, just pray for them.  Well, how about instead of simply praying for those most vulnerable, what if they were to experience the love and mercy of Christ Jesus firsthand?  

"For I hunger and you give Me to eat; I thirst and you give me drink; a stranger was I and you took me in; naked and you clothed Me; infirm am I and you visit Me; in jail was I and you come to Me."  "Then the just will be answering Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we perceive You hungering and nourish Thee, or thirsting and we give Thee drink?  Now when did we perceive Thee a stranger and took thee in, or naked and we clothed Thee?  Now when did we perceive Thee infirm, or in jail, and we came to Thee?'  "And, answering, the King shall be declaring to them, 'Verily, I am saying to you, in as much as you do it to one of these, the least of My brethren, you do it to Me.' 

Matthew 25: 35-40, Concordant New Testament 

I find it interesting that one of the most important teachings of the love and mercy Christ is found in Matthew.  Here, Jesus rattles off a few occasions where His followers dropped the ball and left Him high and dry.  They refused Him when He was hungry.  They ignored Him when He was a stranger.  They even left Him without clothing when He had none.  Incredulous, the people ask of Jesus just when they had seen Him in this way.  Then Jesus drops the hammer.  "In as much as you do it to one of these, the least of my brethren, you do it to Me" {Matthew 25:40}.  I'm sure that there was a long silence from the crowd after Jesus spoke these words.  For when was the last time that you saw Jesus in someone you don't care much about?  I admit that as I watched the paramedics administering medication to that young man recently that I immediately did not see any resemblance to Christ.  Now, I can speak all day and twice on Sundays about how I see Jesus in myself, but in some homeless kid?  Then I need to ask myself that question, what makes him so different from me?  What makes Jesus choose me over him?  Is the indwelling Christ simply available to those most Godly?  If so, then the apostle Paul broke that mold.  For it was Paul, the persecutor of the early church of the followers of Jesus, who speaks to the reality of Christ in us {Galatians 2:20}.  The indwelling Christ is not available to only a select few, but to all who accept Him.  How does the homeless kid in the slavery of addiction even hear of the freedom to be found in Jesus?  From those who have realized Christ Jesus in themselves.  Through us, Christ is manifested upon the world.  I guess I could say that as long as I have Jesus, I'll keep raising the dead.  

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.  Now that which I am now living in flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.

Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~