Luke 8:2

"Passion's Paradox"

".. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils .."   Mary Magdalene is the focus of the day.  She is an example of, and represents, a paradox of the highest proportion,  the extent of the Lord's passion. 

The Lord Jesus Christ IS the essence of "Passion."  The word Passion by definition means "intense overpowering emotion such as love, joy, hatred or anger."  The Lord embodies all of those emotions.  You say, "Jesus doesn't hate!"  I beg to differ;  He "hates"  SIN!  Then, you say, "But, how can a loving God be angry?"  Hide and watch!  He threw out the money changers in the temple, because He was angry; He burned Sodom and Gomorrah in anger; He opened up the earth in the old testament and swallowed up evil doers  ...  He always punishes SIN, and SIN makes Him angry  ...  because SIN destroys the very creation He formed by His own hand!  So, where is the Paradox?  He destroys to protect; He tears down to lift up; He covers to reveal; He dies to live; He leaves to come; He asks us to lose to receive; He moves us to bow lower to climb higher; He says "sing" when we're in the very throws of bankruptcy  ...  need I go on?  He IS the Holy One, the Creator, God Almighty in the flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord, the soon coming King, "Passion's Paradox."

"When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week,

he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom

he had driven seven demons."  (Mark 16:9)

 Why did Jesus appear "first" to Mary?  She was always "there" first!  The one who is forgiven much, loves much!  Herein is the gist of the matter.  "Passion's Paradox" is an expression that Jesus Christ never goes for the obvious; He never chooses the One WE think He would choose.  You may think you could never do or be anything in God because of your past.  You may have done the most horrific sins, but you have been forgiven, and now you stay in the dimly lit shadows, worshipping from afar, sliding in to pray when no one is looking; you dance before the Lord in darkened corners of your bedroom; you "sing" Him love songs in the early morning hours; you speak sweet nothings into the listening ears of the One whom your soul loves  ...  and you think God would never choose "you" to be exalted in the church  ... Hello, Mary!  This article is for "you!" 

We are moving into a period of time when "the last will be first."  The "forgotten" ones are not "forsaken" ones; The Lord will bring them to the forefront.  Why?  They have been forgiven much, so they love much!  It's not that God loves those who were raised in the Lord and their lives have always been the purest any less; it's just God's incomprehensible, unreasonable, indecipherable, illogical, paradoxical "Mindset."  And, by the way, He's God; He can think any way He wants to!

It's intriguing, isn't it?  To think that God would raise up those whom society might think less deserving.  It's actually beautiful, profound, and very very humbling to all of us!  We look back ... out of all of Jesse's children, God chose smelly David, out tending the sheep, singing love poems to the Lord and strumming his harp.  No one else would have chosen him ...  Paul was a paradox, "singing" in the midst of a dirty, dark, hopeless prison cell  ...  God always hears "the song"  ...

 

How many Mary Magdalenes are out there?  Maybe you're reading this and you have a dream in your soul for the work of God, but you have never been chosen; in fact, you feel like your life was too bad, before the Lord saved you, to qualify you for any kind of ministry.  Hello, Mary!  Don't be surprised if you hear the Lord calling your name!  He heard your "song" in the night!  

The humble are exalted; the meek inherit; the losers become winners; the so-called ugly are crowned as most beautiful; those who are deemed "the can't do its" will "do it better than anyone else;" those on the back seat will be ushered and prominently seated on the front seat.  Why?  Because there's One who sees all, knows all, hears all, IS all  ...  Listen intently  ...  there's every reason for you to SING; you are the personification of Passion's Paradox and you can hear the faintness of a passionate loving whisper, calling, calling  ... "Mary?" 

                                                                             By Sheryl Fowler

 (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

                                                PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)