Sherri Gragg - Arms Open Wide: A Call to Linger in the Saviors Presence

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2014 by Sherri Gragg

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

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ISBN-13: 978-1-4003-2346-3

ISBN-13: 978-0-7180-1144-4 (eBook)

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I dedicate this book to Dr. Lucas Boyd, whoshowed me the way... and told me I could.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

WITH DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO the following:

My Messiah and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

My large and beautiful family, who encouraged me and supported me every step of the way.

The good people at Thomas Nelson, for taking a chance on me, an unknown author. My publishing experience with you has been truly wonderful.

My brilliant editor, Lisa Stilwell. You are a gift from God.

The great men who have gone before me to study the sands where Jesus walkedAlfred Edersheim, Dr. James Martin, Kenneth Bailey, Ron Moseley, and so many more. As you opened my eyes to Middle Eastern life in the first century, the most amazing thing happened: God healed my heart. I am forever grateful.

ONE SUNDAY NIGHT LONG ago, I lay in bed as my heart pounded in my chest. Just that morning, a well-meaning Sunday school teacher had delivered a powerful lesson on the precarious state of my immortal soul without Jesus. I stared wide-eyed into the darkness for fear that if I closed my eyes and went to sleep I would awaken in eternal flames. Finally, when I could stand it no more, I slipped from beneath the covers and padded barefoot down the hall to my parents room. My daddy and I sat on the side of the bed and I prayed to receive Christ as my Savior. I was four years old.

The infancy of my faith was founded not in Christs tender love for me, but in the deep belief that He was a harsh judge who awaited the opportunity to throttle me. Throughout my childhood and youth, I kept this vengeful God at a distance and tried very hard to be good.

This flawed view of God and the fear that accompanied it would define my life for most of the next forty years. My misunderstanding of my heavenly Father stole my gifts. I was compelled to write from the time I was a child, but doubted myself too much to allow anyone to read my work. Close relationships were elusive for me because I was too busy hiding a heart I feared was unlovable. If my Creator was so displeased with me, how could anyone else accept me? The falsehoods I believed about God repeatedly drowned me in despair. Even on the days I knew the truth in my head, I struggled to untangle the tendrils of the lie from my heart.

It was not until I was forty-one years old and took a trip to Israel that I was introduced to the concept of interpreting scripture through the cultural lens in which it was written, and that the shackles on my heart and mind began to fall in earnest. Bit by bit, I learned to view Jesus teachings through the eyes of a Middle Eastern Peasant. Scripture started to come to life for me. I found, at the center of humanitys tragic drama, a Messiah who was the incarnation of God Himself pouring out His life in costly love to redeem us all.

And I loved Him!

The writer of Hebrews says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8.) In the spirit of this truth I have written each devotion with the hope of guiding you into His presence through fictional narrative surrounding Scripture. And while this is a creative work, it is one that is strongly rooted in research. For example, I do not know for certain that there was a narrow window near the ceiling of the room in which the sinful woman anointed Jesus feet but I do know that this was the type of window commonly found in a first century home in Palestine. Also, some of the historical terms used may be unfamiliar to you. To address this, there is an asterisk after those words to indicate that a definition is provided in the glossary at the back of the book.

The prayers at the end of each chapter are very simply the cries of my own heart. However, I believe there are certain cries of the heart which are common to humanity. Maybe theyll even be a little like your hearts cry too.

My prayer for you while reading these pages is that youll experience the same living and loving Savior as I have, and that you will truly know He stands with arms open wide to welcome you into His Fathers kingdom just as you are.

Christs peace,

Sherri

Were you angry with the rivers, LORD?
Was your wrath against the streams?

Did you rage against the sea
when you rode your horses
and your chariots to victory?

You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.

You split the earth with rivers;
the mountains saw you and writhed.

Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared
and lifted its waves on high.

HABAKKUK 3:810

BEFORE YOU BEGIN, READ MARK 4:3541

THE CROWDS WERE RELENTLESS. An endless sea of suffering humanity was tossed wave after wave upon the shore of Peters doorstepthe feverish, the blind, the lame, the deaf, and, as evening drew near, the hordes of demon possessed. Jesus worked nonstoptouching them, speaking to them, freeing them, healing them.

And still they came, filling the courtyard and surrounding the house. No time to rest, no time to eat until, at last, the God-man could go no farther.

He held up a weary hand and motioned to His disciples to stem the flow of humanity coming through the door. He rose slowly, painfully, from the stool where He had been perched for hours and walked into the courtyard to survey the crowd. He would have to begin again tomorrow.

Jesus glanced back at Peters home where He was staying and at the crowd that had no intention of leaving as long as He was present. He turned to His disciples and nodded toward the harbor.

Let us go over to the other side (Mark 4:35).

The men looked at each other warily. The other side? Was the situation that desperate?

The other side was local jargon for the opposite shore of the Sea of Galilee, the region of the Decapolis,* where observant Judaism* had been washed away by the tide of Hellenism. Amphitheaters and gymnasiums rose majestically next to the temples of Greek and Roman gods. It was a land where herds of pigs were raiseda practice the Jews considered abhorrent and unclean.