We all know the story of Lot’s wife, who when instructed by God to “not
look back,” did anyway, and turned into a pillar of salt. Good advice from God,
but even better when taken, a rule of thumb when you hear from God. But looking
back for some of us is really looking ahead, to looking ahead to our next ride,
our next encounter with our new motorcycle, or one we have grown to love. It
has been said, and I think wisely so, if you don’t look back at your bike when
you park it, you are riding the wrong bike. Stop and think of your new bike, or
one that was your favorite, how many times did you park it where you could see
it from the diner’s window. Or stopped a few times and kept looking back to see
if it was OK. Or just looked back in admiration, or disbelief that it was
really yours. It goes way beyond after the new wears off, and after many miles
you have established a relationship. For me it speaks of the road, of where I
am, where I have been, and where I am going. So when you look at the pictures I
take on a trip, they include what I am riding. For in me they bring back a time
and a place I wish to remember, if only for that moment in time.
Many times while on the road, thousands of miles from home, I have stopped
and just gazed at what I was riding. Amazed that everything I need is there,
and how compact it really is. How that bike has allowed me to ride all over
America, travel at 80+ miles per hour, and be safe. How it is everything I
need, and nothing I don’t. So when stopping for a Tootsie Roll, and I lean on
it, and people always seem to come up and want to know about my bike and the
ride, I get to share something precious to me, to encourage them to get out and
see America, and to start living. To enjoy life, to cherish the relationships
you have, and if you ride, it all means that much more. So when I look back, I
am looking back in gratitude to God, with thanks for the ride, and of the ride
to come. And can’t wait to get back on the bike and ride. Seems lately this
looking back has been happening just looking at the bikes in my
garage......could it be the road is calling?
There are no chance encounters, no such thing a luck, as God does have
everything under control. Just like when Jesus met Nicodemus that night. Nick
at night was not prepared to hear what he did from Jesus, he thought he was
living the right life as dictated by his peer group, the Pharisees. On the
outside he was admirable, but Jesus saw something deeper, a longing and a
loneliness. NIcky had taken a chance even meeting Jesus, for fear of
retribution from his peers, the spirit calling him and he didn’t realize it. So
Jesus told him simply “you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God.” You
cannot get in the way you are, you must change to gain entrance. You are
wasting your time if you think you can get in any other way. You can look back
on what you have done, but you must look ahead to what Jesus has done. How
often Nicky must have looked back to that evening in wonder, unsure of what
Jesus meant, until we see him reappear some 20 chapters later at the grave of
Jesus with Joseph to claim the body. And finding Jesus gone, now he got it.
The missing body, resurrected, confirmed all the spirit had relayed to him, and
now he knew. He had been born again, and would enter the kingdom of God. He
once had risked everything to meet Jesus in the garden, now he was risking
everything to claim his body. He was looking ahead by looking back, and the
future was bright for him. No longer bound by laws, he had the spirit to guide
him. How many times he must have looked back to that night in the garden, how
may times did he share that or wish he had. He had found the right God to look
back on and to, just like we look back at our rides. Maybe a new way to look at
your bike next time you park it. A way to see Jesus, and how he has set you
free.
Today many preachers seem hung up on being born again, and when asked “why
is that always your message?” reply “because you must be born again.” The
gospel so simple we can get it, and free so we can afford it. But priceless to
those that receive it. So maybe the next time you park your bike, and walk away
and look back, think of your first encounter with Jesus. Look how far you have
come, and how far you want to go. Look around at your surroundings, maybe
glance at the windows. And if you see a face looking at you and smiling, it
just may be Jesus, looking at you with fondness. Looking back at you the way he
wants you to look at him. To be part of the kingdom is to belong to God.
Whether in the garden, the parking lot, or alongside the road, Jesus is
watching. Looking out for you, so enjoy the ride a little more, take the time
with him, and remember, you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. A
ride with a destination like no other. If you are not looking back at Jesus,
maybe you are serving the wrong God. And why Jesus spent his whole ministry on
the road.....
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com