(Read Mark 5:21 ff. Romans 8:28)
There’s a commodity of which daily we all have the same amount; TIME – that strangely elastic commodity perceived of as being either elongated or truncated! Generally, in retrospect, it appears short – but in prospect, it seems long. That is, as we look back, time is nothing; when we are looking forward or waiting for something, time is elongated.
Time constraints are among the greatest stressors. If only we could, on occasion, make more of the stuff – or stretch it, or make it obey us – or at least not have it dominate, rule and even oppress us! Time is a good servant but a bad master, but Jesus is Lord of Time – and we are in Him. So it must be true that time and its management becomes something of a different proposition for believers. He is able, willing and desirous of moving His children into a different paradigm and frame of reference regarding TIME. It is the place described in Romans 8:28 where ‘all things synergise by God’s working, for the good of those who love Him.’ The Greek verb is sunergeo (to co-operate, work together).
•Two kinds of life: life of the temporal variety and life of the eternal variety.
We’ve been created to function within a temporal (time) world which means we are governed by and within, TIME. But our Creator lives outside time and within a different realm. As time’s creator He is its Commander and can move within both realms. Perhaps a better statement is, ‘He can make either realm serve Him.’ But … not only is He Lord of Time; He is my Lord also!
Life of the temporal variety is characterised by the limitations and frustrations we all experience daily; not enough hours; can’t be in two places at once; matters competing for priority. It’s a realm where ‘things’ often don’t co-operate and may appear to deliberately frustrate. The result is anxiety, stress and lack of productivity. TIME can be a bad Master! But is it not His servant? Then where does that put me?
• The eternal in the here and now: Life of the eternal variety is where time is not the governor
(or tyrant) – and is characterised by limitlessness, no frustration of purposes, peacefulness, quietness and productivity. It is the superior realm - and God has made it possible for it to invade this realm to make things different! Life of the eternal variety has been provided. And maybe you’re immediately thinking, “yes, we have been given eternal life and one day we’ll get to enjoy it!” No - it has been made accessible in the NOW!
In Jn. 6:40 Jesus says - ‘this is the will of Him who sent me; that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.’ The verb ‘have’ is Present Active! ‘may be having eternal life.’ AND … it’s not, ‘I will raise him up at the last day and he will have eternal life’ – he has it first and then gets raised up (to enjoy what he’s already been enjoying …. forever!). Again in Jn.10:27-28 ‘The verb to hear is Present, Active. A literal translation; ‘my sheep are hearing my voice and they are following and I am giving them (Present Active) life eternal.’ OR – what about 1 Tim. 6:12 where a literal translation says, ‘be laying hold of the eternal life into which you were called’. The eternal is somehow accessible within time – and we are to be laying hold on it! It's how He causes the synergy of Romans 8:28 that is for our our good!
•Jesus demonstrates how it works: The incident of Jesus with Jairus is one of many
examples of eternity’s way of superseding time (another is Lazarus). Here is a situation typical in all our lives; the classic interruption. Jesus decides the Jairus matter is Father’s purpose, but no sooner does He set out than …. an interruption! The matter with Jairus is urgent; his 12 year old child is near death. Imagine how Jairus feels as Jesus lingers, firstly to find the woman and then attend to her and encourage her? And because of that delay, the bad news comes; the news that extinguishes hope. That's usually when the blame starts flying around. And here’s where Jesus is the exemplar of something from above. John said of Jesus, ‘this is the true God – and eternal life’. He was among us as the eternal kind of life personified and demonstrated, in flesh! For Him, Time holds no tyranny. Yet, here He is, living within the constraints of Time – and showing how it’s done.
For those living in eternal life NOW, Time is not a tyrant;
The presence of the Kingdom brings the eternal into the temporal realm. It’s the ‘other’ realm where He is causing all things to synergise for good. As soon as the word from the time realm came, He spoke the word from the eternal realm. Words from the time world, generate anxiety. They speak of impossibility; the language they speak is called ‘Adam’. They don’t speak from Him! Note: 'as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken - He spoke. And His message to Jairus was, 'don't be afraid, only believe.' What this meant was that the delay in the Time realm was of no consequence because He spoke from the realm where the Father is making all things synergise for those who love Him! This is beyond understanding! (Don’t try to understand it; it must be received by faith).
This is not for the carnal mind: this is for people who are ‘in Him’. Words from the eternal realm
cannot be received by the mind locked only into this world and time (1 Cor 2:14). Such minds were doing what they always do; drawing conclusions and responding from their Time Realm experience. Jesus says, 'she is not dead but sleeping' and the carnal mind ridicules. So it will ever be. If we are going to bring life of the eternal kind into situations, the unbelieving heart and mind will say it's ridiculous. But Jesus’ relegates their unbelief and separates it from both Jairus and Himself, 'He put them all outside.’ There is a time (when He has spoken) to remove ourselves from the environment and atmosphere of unbelief, to care not what it says – nor be affected by what it says! Then He took the father and mother and Peter, James and John (Luke tells us) in with Him to witness words from the eternal realm prevailing over words from the time realm. If we allow Him, He will take us in with Him, (like Peter, James and John), to that special place of new perspective on all things … the perspective of Romans 8:28 where He is synergising all things for our good!
Ian Heard
Feb 7, 2016
