Klondike Bar Jesus

Klondike bars; Apparently people would do a lot of stupid stuff for them. I want to tell you that I would trapeze Niagara Falls while juggling knives on a unicycle given there was a Klondike bar waiting at the other side, but then I would be lying to you. The truth is I might not even will myself off the couch to the fridge, which is only 5 feet away. However, that begs the question; Is there something that I would trapeze across Niagara Falls on a unicycle while juggling knives for? The answer is a proud and bold “YES”.

There is a common misconception about life’s biggest mystery. People often ask; is there something worth living for? The answer is yes, but the greater and more significant question is; is there something worth dying for? The great philosopher Kierkegaard puts it brilliantly. I would like to once again thank my professor Paul Patton for introducing me to such wisdom.

The animal dies out of necessity; man, as spirit, can give his life because there is something worth dying for. To live, not out of habit but because one knows why life is worth living, and to die, not out of necessity, but because one values something more than life itself.

(Kierkegaard)

I believe the most fantastic thing someone can claim is that they have something worth dying for. Christ showed that to him, we were worth dying for. When we accept Christ’s defeat of sin on our behalf, we aren’t just saying “cool beans” lets be buds. When we accept Christ we are embracing the overwhelming, spine tingling, and exciting thought that we also now have something to die for.

So if you’re in my boat, then you say all the time, "I’m willing to die!" You might even say, "God I want your will in my life." I’ve been praying the “not my will…” prayer for some time, but I’m not sure I (or too many others) really understand what that means. It is one thing to die, another to sacrifice life.

This brings me to the awesome and powerful book of Ezekiel. Studying it has been incredible, specifically the first few chapters. The book begins with a divine appointment with God. Whenever this happens in the word, soak it in. This is God in the best physical description you will ever get. So yeah, Ezekiel is like “whoa bro, this is pretty crazy, I think I’m gonna bow down and hide my face”. But God tells him to listen, and to obey. 

God commands Ezekiel to “speak my words to them (the rebellious house of Israel), whether they listen or fail to listen” (Eze 2:7). God goes further to say that the house of Israel will not listen. 

As you read on into Ezekiel 3 it got crazier. God gives Ezekiel a scroll, with words of “lament and mourning and woe.” God then tells Ezekiel to EAT IT. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to understand the metaphor here. Ezekiel, by eating the scroll was yielding to the will of God, which for him and Israel meant mourning and woe. My favorite part is that Ezekiel describes it as “sweet as honey in my mouth”.

             

Well Ezekiel goes forth to the Kebar River where the exiles are. Then he feels a deep sense of purpose and begins working with peace and joy, ready for any challenge that might face him right? Nope, scripture says he arrives at the Kebar River and sits for SEVEN DAYS because he is OVERWHELMED by his task.

             

After the seven days, Ezekiel is commanded to warn Israel by preaching every day for 300 days while lying on his side, and surviving on one measly loaf of bread, which was to be baked over his own excrement. God commanded this of him specifically. The story goes on but we can stop there. Read it for yourself, there is so much meat in this scripture.

There are several expectations that are shattered in the book of Ezekiel. God doesn’t always call us to successful ministry. Ezekiel, though a unique case, was called to preach essentially to deaf people. The first question then is to ask myself, would I follow God’s plan even if I didn’t see success, hope shared, people saved, or lives changed?

Being in God’s will isn’t always a peaceful thing. God let Ezekiel be overwhelmed. Am I ready to go and be overwhelmed? Ministry isn’t a luxury ride. I’m sure many others who have more experience in ministry would vouch for that. And when I say ministry that encompasses all Christians, not just our pastors and ministers.

I expect that God is going to do incredible things that will fill me with peace, joy, and blessings. If God told me to take his will and that meant a life of mourning, woe, lying on my side, and eating bread baked over a fire using my own excrement to fuel the fire would I do it?

I have come to the joyful conclusion of “YES!” There is an unexplainable joy that is unwavering in the Lord when you are eating the will of God no matter how dark it may be. So in away we are profoundly blessed and filled with peace, just not in the way we typically expect.

We should be empowered by the truth that we not only have something worth living for, but something worth DYING for. Therefore death has no sting, what hardships exist now have no hold, and what plans God has for us now exist from now until eternities end.

There is a fight worth fighting.

There is a world worth loving.

There is something worth dying for.