The Supernatural Operating Table

In Luke chapter 2, a "righteous and devout" man named Simeon - meets Mary and Joseph bringing baby Jesus to the temple. 

Verse 34 and 35:

Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

 I thought about what it means that a sword will pierce Mary and Joseph's soul, that the thoughts of their hearts would be revealed.

 It actually felt a lot like what I've been experiencing lately. I've felt like God has been showing me that the deep motivations of my heart are selfish, prideful and coming from a place that's hurt.

To give you an example of what I mean - I've felt convicted about my attitude towards girls over the past while. To get real with you, I found myself evaluating girls around me as candidates. Not in a level-headed way or healthy way, but in a desperate and judgmental way. A way that had great expectations and insecurities that I don't think will ever really be met in a relationship with a girl. I don't think they were really meant to. Other human beings are not something you shop for to decide if you'd "like that one". You shouldn't just "hope you get a good one".

God convicted me of something that was really broken in my thinking, my outlook, here. I think these are the "thoughts of the hearts" that Jesus cuts to reveal.

I've experienced personally in my life, and believe the Bible reflects the same truth, that Jesus doesn't cut us open with intentions to harm. He gets us on the operating table to expose deep wounds and broken things of the heart, that He would heal and make us whole.

Check out these verses:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
Matthew 23:37

For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
Matthew 13:15

This is the Surgeon we are talking about. The one that longs that people would turn, that He could heal them. The sword talked about Luke chapter 2 is not a sword swung to destroy, but a surgeon's knife in the hand of a passionately loving Father. A God that subjected himself to being a human and suffering death on a cross to rescue you. It's important never to lose sight of that.

I felt like God gave me some understanding as I thought on these things this morning, thinking of it in view of this passage:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

We often come to Him for help when we are hurt. We need rest. We're beat down and heavy laden. I don't know how well understood the second part of this has been, for me, though. I imagine the "yoke" that Jesus puts on us, the learning he tells us to do, is post-operation advice he gives to us as Surgeon. So that we don't just repeat a constant cycle of needing the same surgeries.

For us to remain healed, we need that second part. The transforming of the way we think.

As Surgeon, he doesn't just cut out the bad leaving an empty shell - but he gives us new life. He gives us a new heart and a new mind. See Ezekiel 36:26 and Romans 12:2

So I mentioned before that I've been experiencing a lot of this "exposition" of the deep motivations of my heart. I've been shown them, so that I would turn to him, climb on the operating table, and let him guide my life with post-op advice. He wants to instill a new heart and way of thinking in me, and the transformation of God working inside of me is nothing short of supernatural. I have walked free from addictions, seen peace and confidence given in areas of my life I thought were hopeless, and been overall changed as a person, as I've followed this surgeon's advice.

He does not condemn me. He does not feel ashamed of what He finds as he cuts me open. He's God almighty and knew what was in there anyways - he just longs that I would walk like I was created to. That in receiving His healing, teaching and covenant - I would walk as a son of God. I'm loved by God almighty and created with a purpose (you are, too). The bible teaches that heaven rejoices when someone climbs on the operating table (see Luke 15:7). I think God is excited for us, and sees more potential in us (something worth dying for - it's that big) than we can really imagine. I've just got to trust these words and keep getting on the table, man!

In concluding my time thinking on this, this morning, I felt warned as this passage came to mind:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
James 1:22-25

If Jesus cuts to expose these things - he holds a mirror up to my face (again, with loving intentions). I still have a choice as to whether I want to receive the operation and post-op advice. It feels important to know that there is lots to entice, tempt and distract me that I would "go away at once and forget what I was like in the mirror". Caught in the motions, busyness, lusts of what the world has to offer.

Something to be heeded, I guess!