All For Nothing
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All For Nothing
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
In times of trouble, we are tested of what is most important in our life. What will we try to hold on to? What will we be willing to let go? In times of success and greatness we may also once again be tested with these same questions. These are the times when we must ask ourselves, what do I value the most in my life? Sometimes God calls for a change in our lives and we need to decide what it is that we are going to do with that change. Will we accept it or fight against it? These trials and successes may truly test what is in our heart.
Change is inevitable. There is nothing that we can do about it. Isaiah talks about such change in our opening scripture. 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” He is making a way in the wastelands of life and preparing something better. If there is something better than that would mean that what we have now would be considered nothing in comparison to what God has for us.
In Philippians 3 Paul talks about the confidence in the flesh. He confesses that if anyone should have or could have had confidence in the flesh it would be him. Paul was a Hebrew of Hebrews as he puts it. He was the perfect Jew according to the law. He was circumcised on the right day and he was a pure blood of the tribe of Benjamin. Most people of Israel would have been mixed about and not knowing what tribe they belonged to due to the Babylonian exile. However, Paul was an elite and was zealous for persecuting the church and based his righteousness on the law and if righteousness could be achieved by the law, then he would have been perfect and flawless. He had so much success and gain. However, after his conversion Paul realizes that all that he gained was all for nothing. For Christ is worth far more than all of the successes and righteousness under the law. All of his past was now worthless and considered garbage. It was non-essential and not important anymore. His righteousness was no longer his own that came from the law but it came through his faith in Jesus Christ. His obsession with the law has now turned into an obsession for Christ. He wanted to now know Christ and the power of His resurrection and to participate in his sufferings therefore becoming like Him in death. The law was no longer his role model. Jesus had become his ultimate role model.
Can you imagine the feeling of knowing and understanding that everything you did in your life and every bit of greatness you achieved was all for nothing? In our world today many of us seek out status and prestige. It is shown evident in the types of vehicles that people drive and in the types of jobs that people seek. Even kids coming right out of college expect to enter the work force as a CEO of a company and get paid a 6-figure income. They expect success and prestige to be given to them and believe that this is the pathway to happiness in life. However, if we follow the example of Paul, we can see the reality that all of this is for nothing. How depressing that must all feel. To have seemingly wasted all of that time on the wrong things and wrong goals only to have missed what really mattered. Paul was trying to do everything he could the right way to be pleasing to God. However, he would later realize that he was blind spiritually and had to be blinded literally to now see what he was missing. All of that work though for nothing. However, it was not for nothing as it prepared Paul for what was to come and the knowledge he gained and skills he gained were used by Jesus to spread the word of truth across the Mediterranean.
Judas Iscariot is another man who learned all too late that all that he had and sought for was for thing. In addition, what he thought was done for nothing was actually done for something of greater importance than he would understand. John tells us that six days before the Passover meal he was at a dinner put together in his honor at the house of Lazarus. Mary, Lazarus’ sister, took a pint of the most expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them clean with her hair. This upset Judas because he thought and felt that it was such a waste and that it was all for nothing. This perfume was so expensive that it was worth a year’s worth of wages for the average worker. So, imagine taking a $50,000 pint of perfume and the dumping it all out over someone’s feet. This is how Judas thought however he still didn’t realize that this was not just someone but it was the Son of God. Judas said that it would have been better for the perfume to be sold and then the money given to the poor. Judas thought his answer would sound as a righteous one. However, as John points out, he really didn’t care about the poor. He cared about his own pockets for he was in charge of all of the money and would often take some out for himself. However, Jesus next points out to Judas that all of the money in the world can never buy him righteousness for it is all for nothing. Jesus said that the poor will always be there but he will not. Mary was doing something of far more importance and worth compared to the price tag of this perfume.
Often, we may have to make a decision in life of whether we are going to be a Paul or a Judas. Judas was a part of the ministry of Jesus. When the 12 were sent out to preach the good news Judas was among them. When the 12 were healing the sick and lame and casting out demons, Judas was also healing the sick and casting out demons. Yet despite all of this it was all for nothing for Judas because in the end he still betrayed Jesus and never truly repented but instead took his life after feeling remorse for what he had done. He had the truth in front of him the entire time however it turned out that everything he had done in his life was all for nothing. Paul on the other hand had his eyes opened up to the truth and then chose to accept that everything he had ever done was for nothing and rather than continue with the worthless way of his past life, he would go on to focus on something that was of greater worth.
I have been going through some great struggles these last several days. Much emotional pain and much attack upon my family. However, I know the truth that this is all for nothing compared to the greater importance of Christ. I can either wallow in pity for myself and my situation or I can take joy in my suffering knowing that Christ is of greater importance. I believe that Satan wants to attack us to discourage us for speaking the truth because he knows that the truth will save many. However, Satan’s ways are all for nothing. Jesus on the other hand is everything. May we put the nothing behind us and run towards that which is truly something.