About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’” [Isaiah 38.1]
I chose to discuss the verse above by itself today because in my circle of churchy people I have never heard anyone do so. The reason no one discusses the verse above by itself is because in context the verse is only part of the story. Those familiar with the story know that Hezekiah prayed and God extended his life for another fifteen years!
This story is recorded in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah. All three accounts are synoptic in their presentation of the events that occurred. Historically speaking, there is nothing to dispute regarding Hezekiah's story. It happened.
Hezekiah became deathly ill and the prophet Isaiah came to him telling him he would die from the illness. What if that was all there was to the story? It certainly could have been. And, this is where I wish to focus on today...
Up to this point, Hezekiah had a spectacular relationship with God and His miraculous power. Why then would Hezekiah be so dissatisfied with his death sentence? I mean, think about it, he had lived in undeniable fellowship with God and had the honor of the man of God of the day, Isaiah, coming to give him the "heads-up" on his departure from this life - yet another spectacular event. But, as we all know, Hezekiah's humanity kicked in and he wanted to live. For all the lifeless idols that had been deposed under Hezekiah's reign in Judah, there remained the most life-like idol of all: life itself.
Remember how God instructed Moses in the wilderness to make the snake on the pole? It was originally a gift from God but the people made an idol of it by worshiping it. Ironically, it was Hezekiah who destroyed it (2 Kings 18.1-4). Well, life is a gift from God but it can become an idol and, as Hezekiah's story goes, when life becomes an idol, it leads to downfall. Hezekiah essentially ignored God's grand exit strategy complete with confirming prophetic support and instead begged to live.
While I have "preached from the soapbox" against debt, insurance, medicine and technology, and surely done so to the chagrin of most "believers," it is here that their defensive chagrin finds its source:
the gift of life has become an idol.
The ONLY reason debt, insurance, medicine and technology are so firmly and deeply established in our lives as idols is because the gift of life has become an idol.
Jesus Christ came to earth for one purpose: to redeem mankind - the Cross was the only pathway to that destination. Jesus did not come to earth to live, but to die. Living was simply a tool to get Jesus to the Cross. It is not ironic that the same prophet that notified Hezekiah of his pending death also served notice of Jesus' death:
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. [Isaiah 53.4-10]
Although the Bible contains numerous references to long life being a blessing, Hezekiah was only 39 years old when he became deathly ill. Even with the additional 15 years God gave him, he still died at only 54. In contrast, Jesus only had 33 total years on earth!
Yes, Jesus only "lived" on earth 33 years. Jesus showed us a new way - a new covenant. Jesus was never at a loss for words when discussing life in this new way:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24, Mark 8.34, Luke 9.23]
Life was no idol to Jesus.
Life should be no idol to us!
Jesus was undeniably confident of His presence on earth but still embraced the day of His death. Do we not believe that God controls our days on earth? If so, why can we not welcome the day of our death when in very clear words ("take up your cross"), Jesus instructs us to do so?
In pursuing the idol of life, Hezekiah made some silly mistakes. If we idolize life, we will do the same. But, what's worse, when we idolize life, there is no way we are embracing death (taking up our cross) as Jesus our Lord did, and consequently, there is no way that we are "following Him."
It makes sense then that Jesus did not really focus on secondary idols (like debt, insurance, medicine and technology) in His teaching. Instead, He went straight to the primary idol of life giving the following repeated warning to His would-be followers:
If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. [Matthew 10:39]
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. [Matthew 16:25]
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. [Mark 8:35]
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. [Luke 9:24]
If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. [Luke 17:33]
Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. [John 12:25]
When "Christians" adamantly defend debt, insurance, medicine and technology, they are symptomatically idolizing life. They are no different than people of the world without a Savior, without hope, and with nothing but this life to hold onto.
If we are entangled in the deceptive web of debt, insurance, medicine and technology, defending our struggle to keep up payments and make ends meet, defending our struggle to protect ourselves, defending our struggle to stay alive, or even defending our struggle to live life to its fullest, Jesus has something to say to us:
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” [Matthew 11.28-30]
We must ask ourselves, "what are we holding onto?" Life? Or Jesus (via our own cross)?
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