A Banquet in the Grave

At the Kensington Easter service this weekend, the message was about the Resurrection story according to Luke. In Luke 24, when women came to the location of Jesus' tomb, two men met them (presumably angels). They said (verses 5-6), "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He (Jesus) is not here; he has risen!"

How hard is it to live in that reality, that Jesus is risen? It is hard to live in victory when it seem easier to live in death. (When I'm talking about death and the grave in the next few moments, I'm going to refer to anything that means settling on God's best. It means addictions, sin, even a mediocre life.)

Ed Welsh wrote a book on addictions called, "A Banquet in the Grave," and recently I've been pondering that title. How true it is!

Screw the whole John 10:10 Jesus wanting us to have life to the full. It seems a lot more comfortable to pack a picnic and hang out in the graveyard. At least you know what to expect. At least it keeps you safe... kind of.

I like watching the show Intervention. It first follows an addict and his/ her family and friends so the viewer can see the extent of the addiction. Then, mental health professionals come in and arrange an intervention for this behavior (hence the title). The show ends with a meeting between the addict and loved ones, as each loved one reads a letter why the addict should seek treatment.

The hardest part of the show to watch is video footage of the alcoholic in his normal environment. You see the alcoholic yell, scream, pass out, insult family members. You see the loved ones upset, crying, afraid, hurt.

You want to be like, "PUT THE FREAKING BOTTLE DOWN, YOU IDIOT!! You're ruining your family, your career, everything! Just STOP!"

And guess what? The alcoholic wants to stop as much as you want him to (usually....)! He knows it's irrational and harmful (usually). But it's harder than it sounds.

Because he's having a jolly old banquet in the grave. He's looking for the living among the dead.

In the cycle of addiction, it's hard to emerge from the darkness wanting to see what life has to offer. Life is comfortable in an addiction or behavior... It numbs out all the pain.

Christ has freed us from everything-- from complacency, from pain, from compulsions, from ineffective behaviors. To access that freedom, I don't think you just need to pray harder or read your Bible more. I believe that therapy can work. I believe that rehab can work. I believe that long talks with friends over coffee can work. I believe anti-depressants can work. And anti-depressants are a thing of God, let me tell you.

Full recovery is possible because death no longer has power over us. We have been freed from everything that isn't God's glorious standard. The tomb is empty, and Christ is victorious.

But we have to fight for that freedom. Satan prowls around devouring people left and right, and he whispers the lie, "It's good enough." One drink won't hurt.... We have to fight for it every day, every hour, every minute....

Don't be mistaken, however, there is not a battle between God and Satan like, "Who's going to win?" The battle is already won: God has defeated Satan. Right now, we're just in the waiting period, in which the Good News is both a present and future event.

We, as Christians, should be the most bold to address mental health issues. There should be no room for shame or secrecy. The Gospel is not a call for people who are good enough: it is a call for people who NEED help!! It is a call for people who know they need God.

There is a reason AA in constructed on the belief in a Higher Power: you can't possibly get into recovery in your own strength.

Jesus' resurrection has defeated the powers of evil. He has overcome that seductive but evil banquet in the grave.