Cleavage

Okay. Now that I have your attention . . . let's talk about Jesus. Ha ha! I AM actually going to be writing about cleavage here, just not the kind most people think about when they hear that word. To give you a hint about the ultimate destination of this blog post, let's make a quick stop over at Merriam-Webster's web site to check out the meaning(s) of this provocative word - Cleavage

Cleavage is initially defined and "the splitting" of something. To the geologist, therefore, cleavage is "the quality of a crystallized substance or rock of splitting along definite planes." To the biologist, cleavage is "the splitting of a molecule into simpler molecules." To the homemaker who has a stopped-up kitchen sink, an over-weight plumber bending over to fix the problem presents an entirely different meaning to the word. Sorry about that mental image but (no pun intended) you get the picture, right? For most of us humans though, cleavage has only one meaning . . .

Seinfeld - Cleavage

So, what am I doing writing about cleavage in a Christian blog? Well, as you have seen there can be many different meanings to words. Cleavage is NOT only about women's breasts, splitting cells or rocks or even about that nasty, vertical smile from Joe, the plumber. To show you what I mean I'd like you to read a parable, which by definition is a STORY with more than one meaning - both an earthly AND a heavenly meaning. This story is from the Book of Luke, the 16th chapter. It is the Parable of the Rich Man and the Beggar.

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house - for I have five brothers - so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” - Luke 16:19-31

Well, there's an example biblical cleavage for you - the "splitting" between heaven and hell, between God and man, and between sin and righteousness. And that is why I am writing about "cleavage" in a Christian blog post. If that rich man had only known what awaited him - the reality of an eternal split he was to face between himself and God. If he only had taken the time and made the right choice when he was here on earth.

The way I interpret the Bible, we ALL will live forever. It's just a matter of where. Separated from God in hell? Or living in His Glorious presence forever. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Yet, most of the people I know don't give the afterlife a second thought. Even many of the "Christians" I know! "I'm too busy living my life to think about that stuff. I'll get around to that when I'm older." Have you ever heard the saying that "The road to perdition (hell) is paved with good intentions." Good intentions don't count for much when you're on the outside, looking in.

Here's one of my favorite sayings. "If 'ifs' and 'buts' were fruit and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas." Grave yards (and hell) are both filled with lifeless corpses who never got around to making a decision for Christ. "If only I had more time." "But I just didn't have enough time." Too busy? Are you kidding me? Too busy to make the most important decision anyone could ever make? Yet, in this fast-paced, live-in-the-now world, we LOVE putting things off to the last minute.

I'm the prefect example. President of the local procrastinator's club. My wife and I just recently met with a lawyer and began formulating our Last Will & Testament. That would be a smart thing for a young family to do. Well, we put that off for quite a while. I'll be 60 in a few weeks! We just never got around to it. Not too smart looking back on things from where we are now. Making a basic faith decision sets the foundation for your entire life! Make it early! Have you considered it yet? If you haven't asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, please, do it now!

Before I close I'd like to tell you about another kind of cleavage. One that makes all the definitions we've been talking about unnecessary and unimportant. It can be found in the book of Deuteronomy.

"Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him." - Deuteronomy 13:4

Hmm. Cleave unto him. Do yo know what that means? While the first definitions of cleaving are all about a splitting apart, this particular definition of cleaving that Moses was talking about in the Bible, is all about "clinging too" or "sticking together." The English language is SO confusing.

Here is something stupid to try this week, if you up for an "X-games" type of evangelism. Walk up to someone and say, “I was hoping you could tell me about cleavage.” Or, better yet, “Would you please describe cleavage for me? Is it the kind that separates or is it a cleavage that clings.” Yeah . . . that probably would not be a good idea. Maybe leave the word 'cleavage' out of the conversation all together. But it is ALWAYS okay to talk to someone about the eternal separation found between heaven and hell.

For the Christian, there is only one kind of cleaving that matters - cleaving to God. Whether it is in His Word, the Bible, or through His Holy Spirit, "cleave unto the Lord." Jesus, Yeshua, is our Lord and Savior. Recognize that. LIVE that. And cling . . . cleave . . . unto God. For He is good.