Too Much Life
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Bethany was a little town just about 2 miles from the gates of Jerusalem and during his earthly ministry it became a favorite place for Jesus to stop as he traveled. The name Bethany is interpreted to mean many different things, depending upon which scholar you listen to and their own frame of mind while doing the interpreting.
House Of Answering,
House Of Now,
House Of Cohabitation
House Of Poverty
House Of Depression
House Of Misery
I find it quite interesting that this place, with so much negative meaning attached to it, became the only place near Jerusalem and the Temple where Jesus felt he could relax and feel welcomed no matter how often he came knocking at the door.
How did this little town become Jesus’ only place that could feel like home? It was because of one of the great miracles that he had performed for his friends who had come to know the Lord and honor him. Bethany was the home town of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, and the bible tells us in John 11:5, that “… Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.”
That love that developed between Jesus and this family in Bethany was born out of mutual respect and honor that they gave to Jesus as the Messiah. I have no doubt that Lazarus and his two sisters were convinced of the reality of who Jesus was and they did everything in their power to provide a place of rest for Jesus, and to demonstrate their love for him.
The relationship with Jesus and this family in Bethany had been there long before the day came when that mutual love and respect was sealed forever through the raising of Lazarus from the dead!
I don’t expect that anything in this life is more powerful in cementing a perfect relationship with Jesus than having him perform great miracles of healing and giving of eternal life, or raising us from a place of despair and great need through his miracle working power! How can we do anything else but love the Lord and be willing to serve him after that!!
The house of Lazarus, Mary and Martha had truly been in Bethany in so many ways. Through Lazarus’ death they had become a House Of Poverty, a House of Misery, a House of Depression, but through the resurrection Power of Jesus their House of Now had become a House of Answering and a House of Cohabitation with Jesus always welcomed.
It's not hard to form a bond of love when such a respectful and caring relationship is always present. Even though Jesus, as the very Son of God, loves all men equally; it would not be hard to imagine that Jesus, as very man, God in the flesh, would welcome and count the love of his friends so dearly.
The home of Lazarus in Bethany surely became a House Of Now, for when Jesus desired to stay, it was always ready! At whatever time it was; morning, noon, evening or in the midnight hour, when Jesus came knocking, NOW was always a good time.
And as the door was opened wide to allow him in with gladness and a warm welcome, and an offer to do whatever Jesus asked or needed, this little house in Bethany also fulfilled its name as House of Cohabitation as the Son of God was welcomed into the hearts of men who were always ready to show their true love.
Let me ask this morning, “Is there anyone here who would be described as a Bethany in our time?” When Jesus comes knocking at your door, are you always ready to fling the door wide and let him come in?
Too many people are Christian in name only, but their hearts are far from where they need to be in their relationship with Jesus. We speak of our love for Jesus, but when he comes near we tend to back away and try to ignore the fact that he is there knocking.
“Not now Jesus, I’m too busy!” I have Too Much Life of my own to live and I don’t have time to be committed to doing a work for you that will require more of my life than I’m willing to give right now. Come back another time! Maybe I’ll be ready then. You require too much life from me. It’s like that old country song from years ago that says, “I hear you knocking but you can’t come in!”
“I hear you knocking Lord, but I’m just too tired to answer! This just isn’t a good time to come by and ask me to be a server, to go beyond my self-imposed limitations and believe that I can do anything more for you Jesus.” I know that I live in the “House Of Answering” and that I should answer your call, but my answer for now must be NO! I’m just not ready to take on anything more!
I’m feeling pretty miserable already! I’m tired, weary and depressed, so just go away for a while and let me wallow in my House Of Misery; my House of Depression and in my House of spiritual and physical Poverty. I hear you knocking, but you can’t come in!
But oh my friends, just let the Misery get bad enough, and the Poverty get so much worse until we see no way out, so that we finally become the House of Now and let Jesus in! Jesus will hear and he will come in when we open the door! And when the Miracle working power of God moves to meet our need and answer our prayer because we have allowed Jesus to come in and cohabitate with us, then will our house become a House of Answering YES to the Lord!
As Isaiah 55:6-7 says, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
In this place of Bethany, Lazarus, Mary and Martha were always the House of Now and the House of Answering, and their answer was always YES, We are ready NOW to receive, to give, to work, to hear, to serve and to do whatever was needed for the Lord!
It is no wonder that such a House as this was one of Jesus’ favorite places to be. He always felt welcomed and He loved staying near the heart of those who loved him and honored him and were always willing to be servants at any time and under any conditions.
Is the presence of the Lord always welcomed in your house, and in your heart? Can he always find a you in willingness to say “Yes, come in Lord, and be the Lord of my life!” Is your door always open and your heart always ready to receive him? The Lord is always seeking for a man or woman who is willing to be fully committed and sold out to him, no matter how, when or where or what the cost!
It was at the House Of Cohabitation in Bethany, where Jesus went to another home of a friend who was willing to welcome him in. During that visit, in this House Of Poverty, there came a woman who poured a very expensive anointing oil, an expensive perfume, out of an alabaster box upon Jesus.
Matthew 26:6 - 13 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
Some speculate that this woman was Mary Magdalene, who had been delivered from demons, and knew what it was like to live in abject poverty, captive to evil spirits beyond all hope, and to experience the Power of Jesus as he set her free.
Whether it was this Mary, or not, whoever this woman was, she understood that Jesus deserved all that she could give and more. She was willing to pour her life out to the Lord in worship! She had Too Much Life now because of Jesus, and she needed to give her life for the Lord.
So while Jesus sat at dinner with his disciples in the House Of Now, while she had the chance, this woman poured out her Life’s savings of anointing oil from a special container on Jesus’ head.
Matthew 26:8 -9 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
That’s the way men always see what we do for Jesus. Why go to all that trouble? Why do you choose to Live too Much of Life in a desire to be Holy and be counted as Righteous before God? Why can’t you Live your Life like the rest of us and not be so religious or conscious of sin? You’re losing the best times of your life! It’s costing you far too much and your life could be better spent enjoying it among other people who are not so rich in religion.”
Our answer must be, “Jesus offers me Too Much Life to refuse. I must be about his business answering his call upon me, lest I Lose much more of Life than I’m willing to throw away! I have too much Life eternally to be overly concerned with this Life that I have now.”
Matthew 26:10 -13 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
The disciples thought that anointing Jesus required Too Much Life, but the woman knew that Jesus was All her Life! She gave her all, and in the end she received from Jesus the greatest promise that anyone could ever have in this Life! She was given So Much Life, because her life still stands as a testimony of faith 2000 years later.
What a legacy! And what kind of legacy will your life leave for the time yet to come? Will it be a legacy that says you gave Too Much Life, Not enough Life, or All Your Life to Jesus? How many will read of your acts of love, your work of obedience, or your commitment of Life to Christ?
In the house of Simon, in Bethany, this un-named woman seized the moment in the House of Now, made it into a House of Cohabitation with the very Son of God, chose to live in the House Of Poverty, and released all of her House of Depression and House of Misery by anointing Jesus for his burial at the unction of the Holy Ghost!
This was her greatest moment of Life and she wasn’t going to miss it! It matters not that we don’t know her name. We know her heart and we know that she gained the Fullness of Life through her act of worship and faith in Jesus!
Let me draw this to a close by saying that every one of us is living in Bethany in some way this morning.
We are in a House Of Answering, but what will our answer be when Jesus comes seeking a place to live in our hearts? Will he offer Too Much Life but require too much commitment and dedication for us to give our lives to him?
We are living in a House Of Now, for now is the accepted time of our salvation. Now is the time we have, for we have no promise of another time. Now is the time to open the door and let Jesus rule and reign as the King of our Hearts. Now is all we have! And Now is what God expects us to give to him all that we are!
We are in a House Of Cohabitation, but who else lives there with us? Is it the deceitful enemy of our souls, Satan and all the things of this world that lead us away from Christ, or is it the Presence of Jesus through the indwelling power of the Holy Ghost that leads us ever closer to Jesus? Who, or what, are you living with? Do the things that fill your Life lead you to a more fulfilled Life in Christ, or is it leading you to believe that you have Too Much Life to live for yourself and that you can’t give any more to Jesus!
As long as we live in this world we will always live in the House Of Poverty, for the beggarly things of this present world cannot compare with the wonders and riches of our heavenly home! Why focus on the things of poverty in this world? They will all be consumed in the fires of God’s judgment in the end and the only thing that will stand is the treasure you have laid up in heaven and are eternal.
God offers Too Much Life to give it up for this life of poverty.
Are you living in the House Of Depression? Has the enjoyment of Too Much Life in this present world left you in despair, in need, in want and with more questions than answers? Have your dreams been smashed, your ambitions gone up in smoke, your expectations of life totally failed?
I know that there are physical and medical issues that contribute so much to the depression in our world. Depression has become epidemic in every age group and so many can never seem to get delivered or healed.
But I’m also convinced that the majority of people who live in a House Of Depression are there because of they just don’t open the door for Jesus to come in and Cohabitate with them. I believe that Jesus is the answer, and he will move into our hearts and heal that depression if we will only put him first and then live by his Word!
Jesus is truly the answer for the World today! It’s not just a catchy phrase – It’s the Absolute and Unfailing Truth! Jesus offers So Much More Life, a life abundant with Joy, Peace and Fullness of meaning!
Are you living in a House Of Misery right now? Is nothing going right? Does it seem that you are captive to all the terrible things in life that come to us all, and that there is no way out for you? Do you feel trapped in a life where there just isn’t enough Life to Live? Are there times when you wonder, “Is Life worth Living?” So many today are giving up on life for these very reasons, attempting suicide and all too often, succeeding. Life is far too precious to throw away for nothing!
Jesus is your answer! Open the door of your heart and let he be the Lord of your life! He has so Much Life to Give! He will begin to turn your heart to him more than ever before! He will turn your life around by coming to dwell in you!
We are all living in a spiritual Bethany right now, but what kind of House are you occupying? Open the door, let Jesus come in and make your House the House of Cohabitation with Christ! He will turn your sorrow into Joy!
Psalms 45:7-8 has a promise for those who will open the door of their hearts and let Jesus dwell inside,“Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.”
Whatever the condition of your heart and soul, and whatever type of house you are living in right now, Swing the door of your heart open wide and let Jesus come in! Give him an open “Yes” answer and let the love of God reign in your house.
He will give you Too Much Life for this world to stop you from being a House where God dwells.
