GHOSTING AWAY

We have all probably wished at times, and in obvious circumstances that we could “ghost away” and disappear from certain situations and people. Not only perhaps from being embarrassed, but also, as in the case of Jesus, for safety from some immediate situation.

One such incident of ghosting away was after Jesus had told a crowd “no prophet is welcome in his hometown.” This was compounded by his remarks of, “But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” (Luke 4:24-27)

When we speak of the mystery and completely mysterious decisions of a righteous God, who by mercy and grace has chosen to manifest in one person and not many, it is discomforting to our thinking and justice. But justice, comfort and mercy are not of our choosing, but God’s. We have to live with that and be faithful to what we know.

Explaining God, and the decisions of God, in this way will cause a negative reaction. “When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.” (Luke 4:28-30)

Our only solution is to learn the great secret of ghosting away (passing through the crowd). Our directions come from the Spirit, not only for the mysterious, but also for the uncommon and un-natural. We need a life of the miraculous and we also need a life of ghosting away when things get hot.

“You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above.” Jesus