The Story of an 86 Year Old VITAL MAN
001 // The Story of an 86 Year Old VITAL MANThis is the story of an 86 year old VITAL MAN who lived in the second century. His name is Polycarp. According to the Roman empire, Polycarp was the “teacher of Asia, father of the Christians, and the destroyer of our gods." In 155 AD, he was captured by Roman soldiers and dragged before the proconsul in the infamous Roman Colosseum. The proconsul called for him to deny Christ and swear allegiance to Caesar. Polycarp refused: ”For eighty-six years I have been His servant, and he has never done me wrong: how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” Proconsul: “I have wild beasts. I shall throw you to them, if you don’t change your attitude.” Polycarp: “Call them.” Proconsul: “If you make light of the beasts, I’ll have you destroyed by fire.” Polycarp: “The fire you threaten burns for a time and is soon extinguished: there is a fire you know nothing about - the first of the judgement to come and of eternal punishment, the fire reserved for the ungodly. But why do you hesitate? Do what you want.” Enraged, the crowd called for his death. They bound Polycarp to a stake, stacked wood around him and lit it on fire. Facing the fire, Polycarp prayed his last prayer: “I bless thee for counting me worthy of this day and hour, that in the number of the martyrs I may partake of Christ’s cup, to the resurrection of both soul and body.” When we think of masculinity, we think of outward displays of strength and courage. We think of the gladiator in the arena. But just a stones throw away from the gladiator stands an entirely different from of masculine strength: Inner strength - born of the spirit. When Jesus showed up and announced a new kingdom, everyone expected Him to overthrow the oppressive Roman empire and restore the Jewish people to their rightful place. Instead they got: 'Don't look here or there, for the kingdom of heaven is within you.' They got a Messiah who went about healing bodies and mending hearts among the least of society with zero effort or display of might against the ruling kingdom. Jesus was opposing and defeating the spiritual/invisible powers at work, not the external political system of the day. He was displaying authority and strength toward an entirely different kingdom. This type of strength confounds the world because it cannot be accessed through natural means. It is accessed through surrender, through submission, through giving up your life to find it truly. What do you get in return? Peace in the storm. Joy through suffering. Death unto life. Power over spiritual forces. This strength is not the lion. It's the lamb. The lion has outer strength. The lion takes by force. The lion conquers. Do you have the strength to surrender? Your outer strength is useful, but severely limited. The true strength of a man is found in the inner life of the spirit. To Polycarp, If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future emails, sign up here. |
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VITAL MAN
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