The Center
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| The surgeon was going to settle in the complex together with his team of medical staff |
The study showed that the root cause of their problem lay in the fact that the area they were living in was contaminated. A type of radioactive poisoning had spread among the plants, animal life, water and everything else. As a result, their bodies had become infected.
Unfortunately, there was no one who could cure their condition and there was no hope. However, word also arrived that the author of the report had made a decision to migrate from his country and move into theirs.
He had preordered the construction of a massive emergency medical complex and this had been brought into completion. It was fully equipped with facilities, equipment and much, much more. The expert was going to come and settle in this complex together with his team of medical staff.
He had preordered the construction of a massive emergency medical complex and this had been brought into completion. It was fully equipped with facilities, equipment and much, much more. The expert was going to come and settle in this complex together with his team of medical staff.
The zone where the people were living was contaminated beyond any hope of restoration. The only way lives could be saved was for the inhabitants to leave the zone. This man had been so moved by the plight and suffering of the people and the idea behind the construction of the complex was to be able to accommodate them. According to the report, he was a masterful surgeon and would be offering his medical services for free to all who would be willing to relocate to his new center. The good news did not end there. Motivated by love, he was ready to include all those willing to be free as part of his family and take them in after they have been treated. There was enough room for all.
When the news arrived into the zone, it was met by mixed reactions. A big part of the population simply mocked and stated they did not believe their land was toxic or contaminated in any way. They believed in themselves and in their own ability to survive and overcome the odds. According to them, only the weak and misguided needed external help. Furthermore, they doubted the existence the expert and his medical center. Even if he existed, there was no guarantee he had the skills set described by the report.
However, a few believed the message. They carefully studied the details of the report and realized that it is an accurate description of the conditions they had been living in. They helped convince some of their family members and friends. After considering the recommendation given, they finally decided to forsake the zone and embark on the journey to find the medical center.
The rest of the people in the zone tried to dissuade them from this choice, warning them there was no safety outside the zone and that everyone who left was stepping into nothing but danger and uncertainty. At this, some of those who had been convinced by the report, changed their minds and decided to stay.
However, others stuck with their original resolve to depart despite what everyone else chose to do. When those who chose to stay realized they could not convince this group, they began ridiculing them and calling them naïve fools who could not differentiate between fantasy and reality. Other members of society saw them as lacking basic intelligence.
Despite this, the group abandoned everything and set out After journeying for a while through unknown territory, they suddenly saw a massive complex in the distance. Elated at this discovery, they hastened and soon, found themselves walking into the massive entrance and into the reception area where they were heartily welcomed. They were overjoyed. The place was even more stately than was described in the report! The reception area itself was massive, thoroughly clean, fully equipped and very accommodating. There were several workers on duty maintaining the place to ensure everything was in good working order.
The group realized that they were finally free from all the contamination in the zone they left behind. They were now in a place where everything was completely clean and hygienic. They had all the food and supplies they needed here to keep them going. They were so grateful to the medical expert who had made all this possible and were glad that they believed the contents of the study he prepared.
In fact, they were so happy at their newly found freedom, they began at once to explore the dimensions of the area, taking into account the features, the equipment, and the construction of the place. The exploration of how everything worked here was so captivating, it became the main occupation of the group over a period of weeks. The weeks stretched into months and the months turned into years. Gradually, the main purpose as to why they originally came into the center began fading away...
Everything seemed to have changed for this group - their diet, their environment, their purpose, their outlook. However, despite the fact that they left the zone and are now living here, they found themselves still struggling with aches, pains and discomforts in their bodies that seemed to overpower them and seize control of their lives. They knew as long as they were living here, they could no longer be contaminated by the toxicity in the zone, but they still experienced the stifling effects caused by the cancer cells present in their bodies.
Though they were no longer in danger of dying in the toxic zone, there was another more subtle danger here. Leaving the zone and relocating to a clean environment was an important step, but simply abandoning a contaminated area was no guarantee that they were safe. They still carried in their bodies the deadly stuff. The discomfort still led them to think and behave the same way they did when they were in the zone.
Again, there were mixed reactions in the group concerning this. Initially, they all found it easier to simply blind themselves to this. Some tried to find relief in absorbing themselves as much as possible in self improvement, discovering new ideas and the study of the center itself. Books and other publications were written concerning the wonderful things they unearthed. Many meetings were held to transfer this information from person to person. Others in the group spent time developing their skills and talents. Soon there were many methods and systems that were developed in order to make the stay of the group in the reception area as comfortable as possible.
The report became an end in itself. The events, activities and programs in the reception area also became ends in themselves. People were encouraged to remember that they were free from the zone and they were now meant to be preoccupied with celebrating their freedom, entertaining themselves with this fact, instead of being concerned about the discomforts within them. They were encouraged to live in a state of artificial 'bliss' where they focused all their attention on all the good things they had received since arriving here. Even those who spoke and wrote about the report changed its original meaning or omitted the parts which referred to the crucial need for surgery.
Finally, some could bear this way of life no longer. They could no longer live with the real inner pain that they had every waking day and the reality of who they were becoming. No amount of man-made cover ups could suppress the desperate need for transformation. They read the report from cover to cover and realized their lives were a far cry from what the expert stated would be true of those who are completely cured. They rediscovered that the original reason why they came here in the first place was not to make themselves comfortable at the reception area and spend the rest of their lives studying the marvels of the center. They realized that the methods and solutions around them were not deep enough to reach where it really hurt and make a difference. They need the skillful hands of the surgeon.
So amid the clamour of all the superficial activities around and at the risk of being misunderstood, even scorned by the others, one of those at the reception finally stood up and raised his hand, At once, an attendant of the center came and ushers him from the reception and into the main hall.
Another attendant picked the phone and connected to the office of the master surgeon.
As soon as the receiver was taken at the other end, the attendant relayed the message.
"Good," the surgeon responded. "Please urgently bring him into the emergency room. Set up the equipment and prepare the operating table. I will meet you there."
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There is no shortage of those on planet earth would agree that there is something very wrong with our world today. Some have accepted the message contained in the Bible concerning the plight of man and the fact that his sinful condition is irreversible. The root cause of sin cannot be cured. The only solution is to abandon the world and the sinful nature and to come into a new nature and a new life. For The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23) .
However, what is disturbing is that even after becoming believers, many are content to remain at the reception area, where they are busy enjoying knowledge and the new social life. Whether we are willing to admit it or not, this is the typical situation of majority today. But keeping ourselves busy and distracted with activities and agendas will not resolve the deep inner need for change.
A key example here is the calling of God upon Abram who was destined to be the father of many nations. In order to fulfill this purpose however, the patriarch had to be willing to leave Ur of the Chaldeans and journey from there to Caanan. This call was going to cost him everything he had because the purposes of God for Him could only begin to take effect in Caanan, not in Ur. Many are familiar with this story. However, not many actually realize that Abram was not the first person to hear this divine call.
According to Genesis 11:31-32, Abram's own father Terah, had purposed to move out of Ur and make the journey into Caanan. The fact that he had this in his heart and actually embarked on this trip in exactly the manner God later revealed to Abram in Genesis 12:(leaving the country and taking his family with him), shows that he had grasped the vision and the call of God. In the course of the journey however, Terah came across a place called Haran and decided to settle there instead. I believe God had mercy on him and waited for this man to have a change of heart to pick up the journey from where he stopped and bring himself and his household into Caanan - the place of divine appointment. However, the comfort zone of Haran became too compelling to resist and Terah ended up staying for so long he actually died there. This is the last thing we read just before God calls Abram to embark on the journey to Caanan.
This is similar to the situation an individual faces when they hear the call to repent and be born again into the Kingdom of God. Is the person going to settle at what is popularly understood in our modern times to be norm of Christian life, or are they going to go all the way to the end of the purpose of God in redemption? Though all who make the decision to leave the world and believe the Gospel may be referred to as Christians, the journey for a true disciple (just like the individual who stands up at the reception), begins when he finally declares, “I have counted the cost. I am ready for the operation."
A key example here is the calling of God upon Abram who was destined to be the father of many nations. In order to fulfill this purpose however, the patriarch had to be willing to leave Ur of the Chaldeans and journey from there to Caanan. This call was going to cost him everything he had because the purposes of God for Him could only begin to take effect in Caanan, not in Ur. Many are familiar with this story. However, not many actually realize that Abram was not the first person to hear this divine call.
According to Genesis 11:31-32, Abram's own father Terah, had purposed to move out of Ur and make the journey into Caanan. The fact that he had this in his heart and actually embarked on this trip in exactly the manner God later revealed to Abram in Genesis 12:(leaving the country and taking his family with him), shows that he had grasped the vision and the call of God. In the course of the journey however, Terah came across a place called Haran and decided to settle there instead. I believe God had mercy on him and waited for this man to have a change of heart to pick up the journey from where he stopped and bring himself and his household into Caanan - the place of divine appointment. However, the comfort zone of Haran became too compelling to resist and Terah ended up staying for so long he actually died there. This is the last thing we read just before God calls Abram to embark on the journey to Caanan.
This is similar to the situation an individual faces when they hear the call to repent and be born again into the Kingdom of God. Is the person going to settle at what is popularly understood in our modern times to be norm of Christian life, or are they going to go all the way to the end of the purpose of God in redemption? Though all who make the decision to leave the world and believe the Gospel may be referred to as Christians, the journey for a true disciple (just like the individual who stands up at the reception), begins when he finally declares, “I have counted the cost. I am ready for the operation."
In essence, the disciple is ushered into the presence of the Chief Surgeon and the operating table is brought in. Everyone here knows this is not going to be a comfortable or easy process. Our Surgeon does not do this because He enjoys to see people suffering. He knows however, that simply making a decision to leave a contaminated area does not guarantee freedom from corruption and death. Terah left Ur of the Chaldeans just as God instructed, but his decision to settle in Haran led to his dying without achieving the purpose of God. The call was then passed to His son, Abram. The children of Israel left Egypt, the land of bondage through a mighty deliverance. They left by the hundreds of thousands, yet none of them made it to the promised land except Joshua and Caleb. In the same way, the Surgeon knows that no matter how good or gifted the patient is, unless he or she is willing to submit to a thorough operation entailing a radical, permanent change, he or she will not survive.
Many are called, but few are chosen. There is need for the believer to make the transition from nominal Christianity into radical discipleship. Unlike many ways in which the scriptures are interpreted today, the problem is not just with our behavior or our moral habits. There are many methods used by psychologists today which address problems of human behavior including addiction, anger, depression, fear, etc. Many have actually seen their habits change as a result of applying these techniques. So simply reading the Bible and trying to change one's actions morally does not mean that we have met the Surgeon and that the cross has been applied in our lives. As the Lord pointed out to the religious leaders during His earthly ministry, the root problem goes far deeper than our moral behavior. Sin is something inherent in our nature that cannot be eliminated in any other way apart from the cross.
Many are called, but few are chosen. There is need for the believer to make the transition from nominal Christianity into radical discipleship. Unlike many ways in which the scriptures are interpreted today, the problem is not just with our behavior or our moral habits. There are many methods used by psychologists today which address problems of human behavior including addiction, anger, depression, fear, etc. Many have actually seen their habits change as a result of applying these techniques. So simply reading the Bible and trying to change one's actions morally does not mean that we have met the Surgeon and that the cross has been applied in our lives. As the Lord pointed out to the religious leaders during His earthly ministry, the root problem goes far deeper than our moral behavior. Sin is something inherent in our nature that cannot be eliminated in any other way apart from the cross.
This is not something we can do by ourselves. However, we still believe that we can manage, so we continue actively trying all kinds of methods to change ourselves, just like Adam tried to come up with his own solution to fix the fall in Eden. Here lies one of the key differences between nominal Christianity and true discipleship. The nominal Christian is still trying to improve his life. He is still working at becoming a better person. The disciple has given up his life. He knows it cannot be improved or changed. The only solution is to bring it to an end. Upon this basis, Christ employs the working of the cross to bring the disciple from death to life.
