TO EMBRACE OR NOT TO EMBRACE? THAT IS THE QUESTION!
Scripture Ecclesiastes 3:1, 5b
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to embrace and a time to refrain. We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth —Virginia Satir, family therapist
Do you know when to embrace someone, and when to refrain from embracing them?
A time to embrace. Embrace to show support. Embrace to show love. Embrace a child to help healing from a scraped knee. Embrace romantically. Embrace Change.
What does it mean to embrace?
To clasp in the arms, to hug
To surround or enclose
To receive eagerly
To welcome
To adopt an idea…a faith.
Remember when you were a small child, and you and your parents visited your grandparents on the farm. Each summer they had that big "family reunion". Grandma would grab hold of you and squeeze you so hard. Her embrace was firm and her arms surrounded you. Then she'd pinch your tummy and say you had to put some meat on those bones!
And then there was Aunt Martha. She wasn't the embracing kind. Instead, she'd reach out and pinch both of your cheeks. Uncle Bob had his own brand of embracing. Actually it was much more of a headlock.
The day you left home, for college, for the military, or to strike out on your own - was it a memorable day? With hugs? And warm embraces? Or a day less memorable? Alone. With quiet? Or anger? Or just another day, without embracing?
Are moments of embracing pleasant, happy, memories? Does a smile come to your lips, or your heart, when you think back on them? Or look forward to them?
If there is a time to embrace, what about a time to refrain from embracing?
The image is one of contrast: being together with other people, and being alone. Sometimes refraining from an embrace could be a situation where it isn't appropriate or practical. Sitting in a classroom, or the office, would usually result in people staring at you it you hugged someone. Embracing while driving a car is just a bad idea, it's impractical.
What about "to refrain from embracing" does it mean to be alone? Is it ever good to be alone?
Yes. Solitude can be a time to reflect. To regroup. To work through processes in your mind. To meditate on the awesome power and love of God. To pray. Solitude can add necessary balance to the rest of your life.
Jesus understood this need for a time, to refrain from embracing. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." ~ Mark 1:35
It is good to seek out and find times to embrace, and times to refrain from embracing.
COMMUNION
Participating in the commemoration of the last Supper is a perfect example of having a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. It is not a stretch to think that the disciples embraced one another when they gathered for that Passover meal. Remember, they didn’t know it was “the last supper.” Then Jesus fully embraces who he is and who he wants his disciples to become. Figuratively and literally he embraces them by getting a towel and a basin of water and washes their feet.
Peter does not want to embrace what Jesus is doing, and then he wants to embrace it too much.
John 13:6-10 Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.
A large part of Jesus’ teaching at the last supper comes in John 15 “I am vine and you are the branches.” John 15:4 Embrace me, and I will embrace you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must embrace the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you embrace me. Story of Welch’s Grape Juice
Like the young man who was accepted for the African missionary field and reported to New York for “passage,” but found on further examination that his wife could not stand the climate. He was heartbroken, but he prayerfully returned to his home and determined to make all the money he could to be used in spreading the Kingdom of God over the world. His father, a dentist, had started to make, on the side, an unfermented wine for the communion service. The young man took the business over and developed it until is assumed vast proportions – his name was “Welch,” whose family still manufactures “grape-juice.” He has given literally millions of dollars to the work of missions. Though he had to refrain from the mission field because of his wife’s condition, he also embraced God’s call in another way that probably did more good than his original plan.
In the Garden of Gethsemane the disciples refrained when they should have embraced – they slept instead of prayed. Jesus was fully embracing what was about to happen.
The final embrace on the night of the last supper: Matt 26:48-50 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him. Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. Even Jesus embraced Judas.
What does this mean as we come to the table? It means that we should refrain from sin and embrace the fruit of the spirit.
Gal 5:19-23
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
As you come to the table today, what one thing do you want to refrain from embracing? What one thing do you want to embrace? Don’t try embracing or refraining with the whole enchilada. One thing to refrain and one thing to embrace!
The Lonely Hill
The cross stood on a lonely hill, And Jesus was lonely, too,
The day they nailed Him to the cross, To die for me and you.
The sins of every one of us lay heavy on His heart,
Yet He was not afraid to die for He had done His part.
Around Him all was loneliness, For few would stand Him by.
Ah, let it not be all in vain He suffered so to die.
If you will listen when He comes And knocks upon your door,
Then let Him in, so that He won’t Be lonely any more.
The cross is right before you now Not far from your side,
Memento of that blessed day When He was crucified.
Come to the lonely hill again, close enough to see his face
All loneliness will disappear when the two of you embrace.
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