Sometimes we seem to forget that we are not home yet… The ancient thinker Socrates argued that philosophy, when done correctly, was “practice for death,” since the passing shadows of this world pointed to an unchanging good, our true end. Likewise Yeshua our Messiah taught us to take up the cross and die daily (Luke 9:23). We are to “set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth,” for we have died and our life is hidden with Messiah in God (Col. 3:2-3).
It is difficult for us to die, to let go, however, because we are deeply attached to this world, and we often abide under the worldly illusion that we will live forever, that tomorrow will resemble today, and that heaven can wait… History is littered with crumbling monuments offered to the idols of this world. The Scriptures are clear, however: “The present form (τὸ σχῆμα) of this world is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:31), and the heart of faith seeks a city whose Designer and Builder is God Himself (Heb. 11:10). “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day… For the things that are seen are turning to dust, but the things that are unseen endure forever (2 Cor. 4:16-18). Because of our sin, creation was made “subject to vanity,” though God has overcome the dust of death by giving us an unshakable hope (Rom. 8:20).
Hebrew Lesson:
The metaphysical truth that ha’kol oveir (הַכּל עוֹבֵר), “everything passes” like a shadow, should help us keep our perspective regarding the various moments of testing we all face in this life. As Nachman of Breslov once said, “The whole earth is a very narrow bridge, and the important thing is never to be afraid” (כָּל־הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאד וְהָעִקָּר לא לְפַחֵד כְּלָל). Yeshua is the Bridge to the Father, the narrow way of passage that leads to life. He has overcome the meretricious world and its vanities. He calls out to us in the storm saying, “Take heart. It is I; be not afraid” (Matt. 14:27). When Peter answered the call and attempted to walk across the stormy waters, he lost courage and began to sink, but Yeshua immediately took hold of him, saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt (lit., think twice)?” Resist the false assumptions that surround common worldly consciousness: Keep focused on the reality of Yeshua and the way he reveals…