Received, not Taken

I heard a conversation this past week where a middle-aged man shared how he visited his friend whose 23-year daughter had died. He told his friend that Jesus had “taken” his daughter. The father, responding in kind wisdom, replied “Jesus did not ‘take’ her, He ‘received’ her.”

It is curious that in the Gospel’s we read about Jesus healing people and even raising some from the dead, but never “taking” anyone. Death is certain and is random and many Christians choose to replace that fact with the idea that it is God’s plan or God’s will. I suppose our need to be in control and explain these events makes us more comfortable to imagine a master plan that includes car accidents, drug overdoses, cancer, and Covid. When we hear of someone dying the first question is always – how? And it is usually followed up with – why. The conversation goes something like this: “Did you hear John died last week?” “How did he die?” “From cancer” “Did he smoke?” Now if John was a heavy smoker and drinker, his death is explainable and almost expected. But if John never smoked or drank, ate healthy and exercised, it just must have been his time, God took him. Mystery explained.

Imagine telling the doctors and nurses in a pediatric oncology unit that it is God’s plan that children should suffer and die. That God took them, or that they are needed up in heaven. Jesus does not “need” anyone in heaven with him. I believe this thinking is Satan’s lie. It turns people away from our Savior by making Christ appear as the grim reaper. No, Jesus did not take these children, but He did fully receive them in His love.

There are moments when, amidst all the worldly chaos, I wonder why people choose not to attend church. It is there that they can discover Jesus has his heart open to everyone and is ready to receive all their pain and suffering. Could it be that they have heard too many times that God is a taker?

Jesus dwells in us, and we in Him. The nature of the Trinity is giving not taking. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And, as Romans 8:38 states, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”