Pouring out our souls to Christ even in our trials by Dr. Rafat Amari

Pouring Out Our Souls to Christ Even in Our Trials

By Dr. Rafat Amari

The 11th chapter of John's Gospel talked about Lazarus and the miracle that happened in Bethany when he was raised from the dead. We can imagine how difficult it was for Mary and her sister, Martha, to see their only brother passing away when he was young. We all pass through trouble. Sometimes God allows all of us to have experiences which are difficult for us to understand. With the book of John, chapter 11 as a backdrop, let's paint a picture of hope.

In the case of Lazarus, we ask how could the "one whom Jesus loved" be left with the worst sickness anyone had in Bethany? How could the beloved one be left to struggle alone without any news of Jesus? Was it possible that Jesus had abandoned him? Could it be that the virtue of being trained in the love of Jesus increases our confidence in Him? When we fail to see Him at the moment we need Him or when we endure all kinds of sickness and sorrow, could that be the most suitable atmosphere for training our character in the love of Jesus? When we have been left in crisis after crisis-things that we think have never occurred to anyone else-we are trained to worship Jesus and love Him. In the absence of health-in the unfavorable circumstance and the loss of the material blessings of life-when the dangerous tempests blow-the ingot of our lives is purified in fiery trials.

The Bible also tells us about another man who suffered. His name was Job. Testing revealed Job's true mettle. As you may remember, God said before He allowed Job's testing that Job was a unique person. He was the only one in all the world who followed the Lord and kept away from evil. Listen to what God said in Job 1: 8, "There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil."

In the same way the trial in Lazarus’s life brought out Martha’s strength of character. She persevered in going out to Jesus although He had left her brother to reach the burial cave and allowed his body to decompose as it stank while returning to dust.

Trials clear the way for the soul to see Christ, the most precious One in life, and to gaze on Him even in the loss of the dear one. Trials may snatch our dearest friends from us, but they allow us to recognize what is far more precious-the One whose presence compensates for every Loss in life.

For every soul there's a treasure that surpasses every loss. That treasure is our fellowship with Jesus and His presence in our lives. The more our loss increases, the more our soul gains opportunity for powerful spiritual compensation in Christ. Perhaps this is why God allows us to endure the bitterest of bereavements. So, like Lazarus in the small community of Bethany, we too, are seen to have a friend in God that we can cling to and worship in every circumstance-even the darkest trial or loss. In this way we give a practical demonstration to people observing us that we do not give pre-eminence to the worship of God only in favorable circumstances. Neither do we withhold our reverence and worship from Him in the darkest hours.

When you think about it, pouring out your soul to Christ is the opportunity of a lifetime. In that act, we point to the greatness of the One who gave His life for ours.

Lazarus's death occurred in a family distinguished for its reverence for Christ. The family was known for its generosity and unique sacrifice. One member of the family was Mary, Lazarus's sister. She became known for a special act of reverence for Jesus. She poured a jar of perfume on Jesus' feet. That ointment represented many hours of labor and was her security for her future.

Why did she do this? I believe she saw the greatness of Christ sitting in a house, among her people. She was experiencing an important event. In a house among her people was setting the greatest Person in the universe, the Divine One of whom the prophets spoke. She seemed to want His welcome to be above the welcome accorded humans, even the greatest of kings and prophets.

Perhaps Mary wanted to show how fitting it was to honor Jesus by pouring out something so precious-something that would not ordinarily be poured out, even before the greatest king. She wanted to demonstrate that her precious ointment should spread its perfume before the world to honor such a person.

This was the best opportunity in her lifetime. It might well have been the finest occasion that life could offer her. She wanted to point out that the pouring out of all she possessed in one occasion before the great Personality that she discerned Its Divine greatness, and that the precious ointment should spread its perfume before such person was finest occasion that life could offer her. In doing that she expressed the common feeling of those contemporaneous to Jesus of the importance of the One who stood at the beginning of the Christian era. Compared to Him, everything became of no value. He is the One to whom the whole universe could not give the reverence and honor He deserves.

Pouring out our soul, symbolized by the jar of ointment, is something we don't do before any other created being. Most of us feel the ointment represents the fragrance or essence of our being. It's the personal dignity we enjoy as creatures. We take pleasure in our personal standing on an equal footing with all other creatures. So we are careful to protect our soul, that it should not be lost or trodden under foot and broken before any mortal being. But what is kept from any other created being in the world was poured out without hesitation before the Person of Christ.

In His presence, Mary felt a sense of fullness and awe-such awe that one could only expect to feel it in the presence of God. Mary perceived that the One who had become incarnate in her day was no ordinary being. He shouldn't be treated as if He were created like us. It's easy to imagine that Mary could have felt that before Jesus. Every soul should humble itself and offer itself freely in all humility, proclaiming Jesus' kingship before any gathering of people in any place or any arena.

He is the One of the greatest honor in whom presence the soul feels of the fullness of awe, such awe that is expected to be felt only in the presence of its creator, where the soul distinguishes His Divine identity. So before Jesus, it is appropriate to make of life as occasion of giving to Him.

In your trials ,too, it is appropriate to make life an occasion for giving to Him. The prize of life is the opportunity to make an offering to Him-proclaiming that He is the Person to whom we offer our lives. He alone is the owner of our souls, the One that the soul should relate to in all things-especially where there are people ignorant of His worth and greatness.

Like Mary, pouring what is most precious to us at His feet is what is required of those of us who know and love Him.

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