Hag-ridden or Heart-rested?
“…But we want a man hag-ridden by the Future – haunted by visions of an imminent heaven or hell upon earth…” – The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
Hag-ridden by the future and haunted by visions of hell upon earth…sound familiar? As the fear and panic of the coronavirus has escalated over the course of the last week, I can’t help but to think that this is exactly where the Enemy wants us. A panicked population, citizens fighting and hording up basic household items, the look of fear that is upon even the most innocent faces of children- and he is sitting back savoring every second of the chaos. Why? Because he loathes us. Because he delights in seeing us in an uproar. Because it’s a distraction from the One whom is the exact opposite of chaos.
And while I’m in no way undermining the seriousness of this situation, I do think that our current set of circumstances has given us a unique opportunity to re-evaluate our priorities and re-align ourselves with the One in whom our hope and future truly exists: Jesus. As we read in multiple accounts of Scripture, Jesus was faced with many situations that left those around him stricken with fear and confusion. Yet He remained the same: constant, sound-minded, and heart-rested in the Father.
We see the disciples out at sea with the raging waters and rolling thunder. They are screaming for Jesus to wake up, scrambling to throw things overboard, and stampeded with sudden panic: hag-ridden with fear. And what was Jesus doing? He was sleeping in the cab of the boat: heart-rested in the Father.
On Good Friday we can see the angry crowds, the haughty Pharisees, the pointing fingers of accusation. We can hear as the masses shout, “Crucify!” The people were intimidated by His power, seething out lies, and were determined to have their own way: hag-ridden with selfish ambition. And though pandemonium ensued, Jesus remained sound-minded in his responses and supernaturally calm in spirit: heart-rested in the Father.
At the scene of the crucifixion, we see the thief on the cross who was haunted by his sins, overcome with physical and mental agony, and fully aware that in a matter of hours he would breathe his last: hag-ridden with regret. And then there was Jesus hanging right beside him- suffering, thirsty, ridiculed. Yet, there was a need to be met: the forgiveness of sin- the very reason why he was hanging on that very cross. And with just a few words, “today you will be with me in paradise,” both the thief and Jesus felt the weight of glorious hope: hearts-rested in the Father.
After Jesus had ascended into Heaven, the disciples also found themselves doing a little social distancing by hiding in the upper room. They were afraid that the authorities would come after them and feared for their very lives: hag-ridden with terror. But, Jesus? He knew that the Holy Spirit was on his way and that they would be empowered to take the gospel to the ends of the earth: heart-rested WITH the Father.
In all of these accounts, we can see that the people have two things in common: panic in uncertainty and the urge to gain some form of control over their circumstances. And yet, over 2,000 years later, we find ourselves in the same position. And while our situation as a nation has drastically changed over the last week, may I remind you of another week in history when things changed at an incredibly rapid pace- it was the week of the crucifixion.
I love the words to an Andrew Peterson song that go like this:
On Sunday you came as a King-
On Monday washed the temple clean-
On Tuesday you told them what would be-
On Wednesday you waited patiently-
On Thursday you said “It is time. I’ll drink this cup for it is mine.” –
On Friday, Lord, you poured the wine…
And then of course we know that he went on to resurrect on Easter Sunday. And if we really stop and think about the fact that Jesus began the week by being hailed as a king on Palm Sunday, to then abruptly being put on trial, was crucified, and then raised from the dead all within with 7 days…if that is not completely astounding, I don’t know what is.
I pray that as a nation this opens our eyes to the realization that there is no amount of money, no form of technological advances, no political party, no social media platform, and no medical institution that can stop pandemics. We are not invincible as a people or as a nation. I pray that this outbreak opens our eyes to the fact that our comfort and our plans can literally change in the matter of hours, and that we will stop and see the only One who is worthy of our hopes and who holds our future indefinitely. I pray that we, as Christians, stand out like the shining City on The Hill now, more than ever.
When the world looks at us, may they not see a people who are hag-ridden with anxiety. Rather, may they witness unusual peace in our spirits, see comforting smiles on our faces, and find our hearts-rested fully in Him.
Abide in Him Always,
Ashley